Social life, school, love and MI6
by LucieJohnson1
Summary: Alex is just about to turn sixteen and dying to get rid of school when MI6 sends him on a mission with an unexpected partner. Wolf's daughter from America who seems to resent him. Children at a summer camp are going missing and Alex and his new partner Layla are sent to find out. Can Alex juggle the mission and getting Layla to see him more than a partner?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So recently I got into Alex Rider and I had an idea for fanfic so I thought "why not!". So I would greatly appreciate comments and reviews. Enjoy!**

Kali Richards was a typical ten year old girl. Except for the fact her father was one of the richest men in London. She was usually a well behaved girl but sometimes, her curiosity got the best of her. One evening at Hemsworth summer adventure camp she got bored and decided to go for a little stroll. As she walked along the beach she noticed that the gate of the restricted area was open. Kali paused for a minute. Was it a good idea? No it wasn't. But she went anyways. From the moment she was told she couldn't go in there, she'd been dying to go in. She tip toed through the gate. It was nothing exciting, just a forest. She continued to walk for maybe ten more minutes through the forest, taking many twists and turns along the path. The further Kali walked the more she thought about the others. Two kids had gone missing from camp already. Had they come in here? Were they lost in this forest? Was she going to get lost too? Finally she came to a clearing. This was a section of the beach that seemed to be untouched. Except for one lone dingy. That boat had to go somewhere so Kali climbed on. Kali was very strong for her age and had been doing plenty of kayaking this summer so rowing this boat was a piece of cake for her. She rowed for a long time, the camp getting smaller and smaller. Kali was growing tired and her interest was decreasing. The results of her walk were very disappointing. Until she noticed the small island approaching. There were tall trees along the edge and she could see a very tall castle type house peeking through. Kali rowed even faster. Finally she got to the island she put the dingy on the sand so it wouldn't float away. She walked along a path and came to another large clearing. The house was giant and looked like a castle. There were tall windows and small towers. On the right side of the house there was a flat roof that must have been for helicopters. Kali had to tilt her head up to see the roof. It was very high up. Kali felt sorry for the person who ever fell of the ledge. Not only was the roof high, there was plenty of rocks along the edge that would crush your spine. Putting aside her fear, she looked for a door. Finally she found two huge wooden doors that made an arch shape. They had two large golden rings on them that reminded Kali of her mothers solid gold hoop earrings. Just as Kali was going to knock on the door, she felt something hit her in the head and then everything was black.

Alex walked through the elevator doors and made his way toward Blunts office. Why on earth had he called him here in the middle of a school day? Not to mention the day before summer break and a week before he turned sixteen. As he got to the office he heard other voices. Alex knocked and he heard someone say to come in. When he opened the door he saw Blunt sitting behind his desk, Ms. Jones eating a peppermint, Wolf standing beside Blunt and the figure of a young girl with her back to him  
"Ah Alex" Blunt said "I'm glad you could make it"  
Alex kept his eyes on Wolf. He hadn't seen him in ages  
"Wolf" Alex said "good to see you"  
All Wolf did was nod. He seemed to be scolding the young girl  
"Alex I'm sure your wondering why your here" Blunt said  
Before Alex could respond the young girl spoke up  
"Blunt are you ever going to tell me why you dragged me here or are you just going to continue to beat around the bush"  
She didn't have a British accent. She was an American. Blunt ignored her  
"Alex I'd like you to meet Layla"  
The girl finally looked at Alex. She had long brown hair with a couple blue streaks mixed in that was toes back in a ponytail. She had dark brown eyes and was close to the same height as Alex. She was wearing army pants, combat boots and a thin strapped green tank top. She was giving Alex a funny look  
"So your the famous Alex rider" she said  
"Um yes" Alex said, feeling a loss for words  
"I don't see what all the fuss is about" she mumbled  
"Sphinx!" Wolf scolded  
Layla lazily looked back to Wolf  
"What?" She asked  
"That is not how we treat out partners!"  
She looked like she just about fell over  
"Excuse me?"  
Alex also felt confused. Blunt stood up and looked to Layla  
"What your father meant to say was that we should treat our equals with respect"  
"Yea because he knows so much about..." Alex's voice died off "wait did you say father?"  
Layla crossed her arms and sank into her hip  
"Yes I did" Blunt said casually "Layla here is Wolf's daughter from America. She has just recently moved here"  
"I've been here six months Blunt" she corrected bitterly  
"Oh yes right" he said "my apologies"  
She continued to look bored and annoyed  
"Blunt could you please just tell me why I'm here?" She pleaded  
"Right. Why don't you and Alex take a seat"  
Blunt gestured to the two leather seats in front of his desk. Layla took the one on Alex's left and he took the other  
"Now your both obviously curious as to why your here" Blunt said  
Just as Layla went to open her mouth Wolf shot her a warning look  
"Sphinx!" He warned  
She closed her mouth and sank a little lower into her seat. Blunt continued  
"Now we have just learnt that a very wealthy man named Richard Hemsworth has just started a summer camp just on the outskirts of London. Now usually we would think this is a normal investment but we learnt last night that three children have already gone missing"  
"And you think Hensworth is responsible" Layla cut in  
"We'll that's the thing" blunt said "no one is quite sure. Every time a child goes missing, he's in a different country. Something isn't right here and we need your help"  
He looked to Layla  
"Both of your help"  
Layla stood up "no way! I'm not joining MI6!"  
"You don't really get much of a choice" Alex mumbled  
Layla shot him a quick death glare then turned back to blunt  
"Isn't it bad enough you forced me through six months of training with SAS?!"  
Alex looked at her in shock. She trained with SAS?  
"I realized that this is not something you would ordinarily do Layla but we really need your help" Blunt said politely  
"No freaking way!" She cried "I'm not doing your little spy work. Especially not with him!"  
She pointed to Alex  
"What did I ever do to you?" He asked standing  
She turned on him "this is all your fault! It's your fault my father has turned me into this British army robot!"  
Wolf had enough "Sphinx!"  
She turned to him  
"Dad you said you wouldn't let them use me as a spy!" She cried  
He walked over to her "sphinx you are to refer to me as sir or Wolf. Is that clear?"  
His voice was harsh and intense. Layla shrunk and became very...sad  
"Yes sir" she mumbled  
"Good!" Wolf said "now you *will* do this mission for MI6 and you *will* work with and respect cub! Is that understood?"  
She nodded "yes sir"  
"Good! Now I'll meet you back at home!"  
He turned and made his way for the door but he stopped and turned to Alex  
"Good to see you again cub"  
"You too Wolf" Alex said grinning  
Out of the corner of his eye Alex saw Layla all of a sudden look very different. When he turned to her she seemed hurt and angry. When she saw Alex looking at her she shot him another death glare. Wolf left the room without another word. Layla sat back in her seat  
"So what do you want us to do?" She asked quietly  
"We want you and Alex to go in posing as campers" Blunt said "now you must know that this camp only seems to accept the children of the wealthy so Layla, you will be Layla Smith. Only daughter of David Smith, American billionaire. Alex you will be Alex Jaminson. Only son of William Jaminson the third, British billionaire. Tomorrow we will fly you two there on a helicopter. In that time you can read these files we have made up"  
Blunt handed Layla and Alex two folders, each containing information on the people they will be playing  
"Remember, this mission could get messy. Stay with each other at all costs. We don't want to loose either of you"  
Layla nodded and stood up  
"Good to see you again Blunt and thank you for ruining my summer"  
She turned and walked away. Alex stood awkwardly  
"Um yea thanks. See you tomorrow"  
He quickly followed Layla out into the hallway. She walked quickly so he wouldn't catch up with her but he was quicker than she thought  
"I didn't know Wolf had a daughter" he said  
Layla pressed the button to call the elevator  
"Yea well he isn't the kind to scream from the top of a mountain about anything" she said bitterly  
Alex looked at her funny "why did he make you call him sir or Wolf?"  
She turned to him sharply "because he's an ass hole who wouldn't know kindness and love if it hit him in the face"  
The elevator doors opened and they walked in. Layla leaned against the wall in the corner while Alex awkwardly stood there  
"So do you like London?" He asked  
"Despise it" she grumbled  
Alex was taken back "look I know being drafted into MI6 isn't fun at first but you'll get used to it. You don't have to be so bitter about it"  
Her body went tense and she turned on him, looking angry. Alex sensed he plucked a nerve  
"For your information I've been training six months straight with MI6" she said, her voice sharp "not to mention the fact my dad has basically been training me since the day I was born. Look I don't care how famous you are around here, your still a sixteen year old who was brought here against they're wish after a tragedy, just like I was. They just give you special treatment because you know how to throw a punch in some guards face"  
Right away Alex could tell she had a serious problem with him. Finally the doors opened and she walked out, Alex at her heels  
"God they act as if they've never seen a spy before" she mumbled  
She made her way down the street in the direction of the Tube. Suddenly Layla turned to him  
"Look superstar, if you think I'm going to baby you like those British wuss's up there your wrong. Your just another soldier fighting in this messed up war we call life"  
She turned on her heels and walked quickly. Alex stood where he was. He figured she wouldn't want him following her. After she was out of sight he continued to walk. His walk home was a blur to him. He kept thinking about all the things Layla had said to him  
"A sixteen year old who was brought here against they're wish, just like I was"  
"Just another soldier fighting in this messed up war we called life"  
About twenty minutes he arrived home, not even noticing it. Jack was home as usual but he ignored her. He went straight to his room and started packing. What does one bing to a summer camp?

Layla walked into her home, mentally praying her father wasn't home. As she walked further into the house she saw her prayers had come true. He still hadnt gotten home. She sighed in relief as she ran up to her room. The nerve of him! He promised that she wouldn't become a spy! Ever since this Alex Rider kid came into the picture all he's ever done is try and make her into him. It's bad enough he practically tried to make her into a boy as a child but now, he was turning her into a soldier?  
"I hate you Alex Rider" she mumbled  
As she sat down on her bed she laughed sarcastically. Alex Rider. That's all he's talked about in the past six months  
"Alex wouldn't do it like that!" She mocked quietly  
Alex this, Alex that! He might as well adopt the kid an kill her. It was obvious he wanted him as his son. He had made it pretty clear he wanted a son, not a daughter. Layla kicked her shoes off and grabbed her yoga pants. She changed and took out the blue extensions. She put them in the makeup bag with the rest and grabbed her suitcase. For a moment she just studied it. Layla hadn't been to a summer camp since she was ten. She walked to her closet and grabbed all her shorts, bathing suits, tank tops, t-shirts, pants and pretty much everything else. After she neatly packed just about everything she owned she studied the suitcase harder. Even with almost all her clothes and toiletries, her suitcase had plenty of room to spare. Layla gave up on trying and walked downstairs. When she entered the kitchen she jumped. Her father was standing in front of the stove. He turned to look at her  
"Something wrong?" He asked  
She shook it off and returned to being hostile. She didn't answer him and walked to the fridge. As fast as she could, she got a water, large enough snack to fill her up, and left the kitchen. She had no interest in speaking to her father. When she returned to her room she picked up her suitcase and took it off her bed. She sat down and turned on the tv. Some hours later she heard her fathers footsteps walk past her room. It was obviously time for bed. She turned out the light and changed into a pair of pyjama pants. Before she went to bed she picked out her outfit for the next day and closed her suitcase. She turned out the light and crawled into bed  
"This is going to be one long summer camp" she whispered

When Alex woke the next morning everything seemed to be a blur. He got showered, changed, ate and said bye to Jack without even thinking twice. As he stepped outside at 10:30 AM there was a black limousine waiting for him. He walked closer to the car and saw Blunt sitting inside. Alex climbed into the car and sat next to Blunt. The driver closed the door and made his way to the drivers seat. As Alex felt the rumble of the engine underneath him Blunt spoke  
"Good morning Alex. Hope you slept well"  
"Just fine thanks" he replied  
"Now I understand that you usually have cool gadgets with you"  
"Yes Smithers gives them to me"  
"We'll sadly Smithers fell ill and wasnt able to make it but I was told to give you these"  
Blunt opened a grey briefcase and looked inside. There was a ballpoint pen, notepad, iPod touch and digital camera. Alex took them and studied them hard  
"What do they do?" He asked  
"Well" blunt replied "the pen may look like an ordinary pen but really, it's invisible ink that will only show up on this notepad. There's a special light on the tip that can be used as a LED flashlight that can be used on land and underwater. That may seem like a digital camera but really, any pictures you take will be sent to us if you press that red button that reads 'share'"  
He pointed to the red button in the top right hand corner of the camera  
"Now my personal favourite is the iPod" he said "Smithers took a regular iPod but created a few of his own apps. The one with the radar can detect any incoming people. The one with a bug will detect any "bugs" that need disabling. Ah lets not forget the one with the words! That one will decode any type of combination lock. And my personal favourite, the one with the speaker. It gives you the capability to listen to any conversation in a certain range"  
Alex nodded  
"Oh and I forgot to mention Smithers downloaded about a thousand songs on there in all types of genres" Blunt added "in case you felt like listening to music"  
"Sweet" Alex said "tell him I said thanks and get well soon"  
Blunt smiled and looked out his window  
"Ah we're here"  
The car stopped suddenly and the climbed out. Alex looked around and found himself standing in the same army base he was trained at. A few yards away stood Layla and Wolf. Alex and Blunt approached them. Today Layla looked a little different. She had red and purple streaks in her hair and was wearing ripped shorts, Keds, a loose white tank top with a bright pink band underneath. She didn't look thrilled to see him. Blunt approached her with a smile  
"Good morning Layla. I have your weapons here"  
She nodded. Blunt opened another briefcase. Alex hadn't even noticed him carrying it  
"So what do you have for me" she asked, sounding bored  
"A comb that will blow up any lock, no matter how thick, a pair of earrings that can record any conversation, a cell phone that can send any information to us and a belt that can shoot a grappling hook that can hold up to three hundred pounds. I hope these will be alright"  
She smiled "there fine thank you. Give Smithers my best"  
He nodded "will do. Now lets get you two off to camp"  
Alex nodded and saw a black helicopter landing not to far from them. The four of them walked to the helicopter. The pilot killed the engine and waited. Blunt turned to Alex  
"Remember, if things get too rough we will pull you out"  
"I know" he replied  
He paused  
"No gun?"  
He laughed "no but if you desperately need one, Layla has one or two with her"  
Alex whipped around and found Layla smirking at him. Out of nowhere Wolf put his hand on her shoulder and she whipped around quickly  
"Now remember" he said sternly "you stick to orders"  
She nodded "yes sir"  
He looked at her as if wanting to say something else but didn't  
"So I'll see you when I get back then" she said, almost sounding hopeful  
"Yes" he said "remember sphinx, if things get messy, you contact us"  
"Yes sir" she said sounding defeated  
"And take care of cub. He isn't fond of orders"  
"Yes sir" she repeated  
"Good luck soldier"  
Then he walked away. Layla looked at him for a minute. She looked almost a little sad. Suddenly blunt put his hand on her shoulder  
"Time to go"  
She turned around and hoped in the helicopter. The pilot had taken their bags without Alex even noticing. Before Alex climbed in Blunt looked at him  
"Alex I want you to do me a favour"  
"Besides the one I'm doing now?" He asked  
"Yes" Blunt said ignoring him "I want you to look after Layla"  
"Why? She seems pretty capable of handling herself"  
"It seems that way but things aren't easy for her right now. You went through what she is and even though she seems to hate everyone, I think she just wants a friend"  
Alex looked at him, waiting for more  
"Would you please just try and make friends with her? She needs it"  
Alex sighed "I'll try"  
Blunt smiled "thank you. Have a nice trip"  
The he walked away. Alex climbed into the helicopter and took the seat next to Layla who was already strapped in and ready to go. Alex looked at her quizzically for a minute. She unexpectedly whipped around  
"Can I help you?" She asked bitterly  
"May I ask you a question?" He said ignoring her  
She sighed "if you must"  
"Why does Wolf call you sphinx?"  
"It's my codename" she said turning to him "you know, like how your cub. Or double o nothing"  
He looked at her in shock "how did you know about that?"  
She shrugged "the K-unit guys like to share stories"  
"You know the K-unit guys?" He asked  
"Yea. Their pretty decent guys. As long as your related to one of them"  
Alex chuckled "at least they treated you well. Did you know your father practically tried to kill me in training?"  
She chuckled "sounds like him. What exactly did you do to make him want you dead anyways?"  
"I'm not too sure. I think he didn't like they were using a fourteen year old"  
She paused but then laughed sarcastically  
"Oh the irony" she said  
"What?" Alex asked  
"Nothing" she mumbled turning away from him  
Alex felt that was the end of that discussion. He sat back in his seat and prepared himself for a very long and silent ride.

**Alright well I left a bit of a cliffhanger because I'm not sure how to continue it... Anyways I'd love your opinion and if your reading this, thank you for reading this much!**


	2. Chapter 2

**So I updated much sooner than I expected (so much for studying) so I'm hope this is one is longer for you guys! **

Layla watched the city of London pass by her through the window of the helicopter. The memory of flying past this very same location in this very same helicopter six months ago came into her head. She felt a pang of sadness in her stomach and a lump in her throat. At that moment Alex decided to talk again  
"Are you nervous?" He asked  
She turned to look at him, a complete blank expression on her face  
"No I'm not" she said bitterly  
He looked a little lost for words  
"Why?" She asked "are you?"  
He shrugged "maybe a little. It's been a year since my last mission"  
She was stunned. This boy that her father never shuts up about has been retired for A year?! It didn't make sense  
"An entire year?"She asked "that's a long time"  
"I guess" he said "I've done a few small things but I would rather not get into that"  
She nodded. Layla completely understood not wanting to share too much. He reminded her a bit of her father  
"Why wouldn't they give you a gun?" She blurted out  
Why did she say that? She was questioning herself when he answered  
"They still think I'm too young"  
"But your a spy"  
"Correct"  
She glared at him "no need to sass me cub"  
"You can call me Alex" he said  
"I know perfectly well that I can call you Alex I just choose to call you cub. Would you prefer I make up a nickname for you? Because compared to what I have in mind, double o nothing is weak"  
He seemed absolutely shocked  
"Cub is fine" he murmured  
She turned back to the window without another word. Layla wasn't heartless, she did feel a little bad saying that to him but her temper always seemed to get the best of her. As she watched the city pass underneath her she missed America even more. This time six months ago she was living with her mom in Oregon, Washington. She was attending a public high school taking all AP classes. She was smart but not a loner. She had a large circle of friends so it made it that much harder to say goodbye. In a strange way, she was slightly relieved to leave. She knew perfectly well that if she had stayed, everyone would just be pitying her. Layla didn't want their pity. If that was something she could keep quiet, she would have, but with how it happened, there was no way you could keep that a secret. Layla felt tears begin to develop in the corner of her eyes and pushed any thoughts of the accident out of her head. As she looked out the window her hand moved to her stomach where all the scars rested.

Alex sat awkwardly, not sure what to say. Layla seemed tense but figured that they had talked enough for now. Suddenly the helicopter started to lower. Alex could see a little clearing coming and he figured that that's where they were going to land. He found out he was right when the helicopter gently landed. Layla undid her straps with ease and climbed out. As the two of them stepped out further into a clearing a long black limousine pulled up. When t stopped the driver got out and looked at them  
"Ms. Smith? Mr. Jaminson?" He asked  
"Yes that's us" Layla said politely  
The driver grinned "it's a pleasure to meet you both. Shall I take your bags"  
Alex was about to say he could carry his own when Layla spoke up  
"That'd be lovely thank you"  
The driver smiled and walked over to them. He picked up the bags and put the into the trunk. He then walked over to the passenger door and opened it for them. Layla walked in first, smiling at him first. Alex climbed in next to Layla and sat there awkwardly, not sure what to say  
"Ever been in a limo before superstar?" She asked  
"Um yes" he said awkwardly  
"You don't sound to sure of yourself" she said  
"No I'm plenty confident" he said awkwardly  
She gave him a sarcastic look "you sure about that soldier?"  
He felt a little stunned. That was the closest thing to affection he's seen her show. She turned back to the front and the car started. They started driving along a surprisingly smooth pathway in a forest. The layers of trees were so thick you could barely see anything. Unexpectedly, Layla turned to him  
"Did you read your files?"  
"Of course" he said  
"Good"  
She turned back to the front of the limousine. Alex felt confused. Was she trying to make conversation with him? He was wondering if she was bipolar or not. Shortly they came out of the forest and arrived at larger clearing. There was a giant filed with a large gated pool area off in the distance. To his left he could see rows of cabins and the beach right in front of them. Alex noticed that the road continued to another part of the forest but there was a gate with barb wire along the top. Odd, why would there be barb wire at a summer camp? Suddenly the car stopped and Alex saw a couple figures approaching them. The driver climbed out and opened the door beside Layla. She smiled sweetly and climbed out with the elegance of a celebrity going to the oscars. Alex climbed out after her and thanked the driver. He grinned and went to the trunk to get their bags. The figures turned out to be two young men. One of them looked to be around the same age as Alex and Layla. The other was a young man who looked to be in his twenties and was smiling  
"Welcome!" He said "my name is Callum. I'm camp director here"  
"Pleasure to meet you" Layla said sweetly  
The young boys eyes darted towards her and really noticed her for the first time. He looked taken back by her  
"You must be Layla Smith" he said "my name is Charlie Hemsworth. My father owns the camp"  
She smiled at him "I recognize the last name. It's a pleasure to meet you Charlie"  
He walked towards her and grabbed her hand lightly "the pleasure is all mine"  
He lightly kissed her hand and she seemed a little shocked. Alex felt a ball of rage and jealousy develop in his stomach. Jason pulled back and Layla slipped out of character for a moment  
"Well aren't we forward"  
She caught herself and giggled as her cheeks went a light pink. It was hard to tell when she was being a spy or not  
"And you must be Alex" Jason said turning to him "nice to meet you"  
"What your not going to kiss my hand?" Alex asked  
Charlie's face dropped in anger and he could see Layla stifle back laughter. Callum decided this was a good time to step in  
"Layla, Alex why don't we show you your cabins?"  
The driver handed them their bags and walked back to the limo without one word. Charlie and Callum turned and began to walk. Alex studied Layla, curious as to what she was thinking. Layla caught his eye and made a gagging face at Jason. Alex tried not to laugh as she smiled at him. Soon they arrived at a small cabin labeled "the Wolves"  
"Layla this is your cabin" Callum said "I hope you'll be comfortable. The ladies are very nice"  
"It's lovely" she said  
As Callum and Charlie walked away Alex remained at her side  
"Ironic isn't it?" She asked  
"Very" Alex agreed  
She was going to say something else when Jason was next to them  
"Alex are you coming?"  
He turned to him quickly "right. Sorry"  
He smiled at him then turned to walk. Alex followed quickly, leaving Layla all by herself at the Wolf cabin. He walked quickly to keep up with them. Shortly they arrived at a cabin identical to Layla's but this ones read "the Snakes". Alex turned to Callum  
"All the cabins are named after animals?" He asked  
Callum grinned "yes. Cool idea isn't it?"  
Alex grinned "very cool"  
"Well Alex I hope you are comfortable here. If you have any questions feel free to ask" Callum said  
Without another word he walked away, leaving Jason alone with Alex. Jason looked to him  
"So Alex" he said "anything going on with you and Layla?"  
Alex was shocked "what? Oh no. We just met"  
Jason grinned and mumbled "good to hear"  
Alex got defensive "you got a thing for her?"  
"Well if we're being honest, yes. She's the most beautiful creature I've ever laid eyes on"  
"Creature?"  
"Oh you know what I mean"  
"Listen Jason, you seem like a nice kid but I feel I should warn you"  
Jason looked confused. Alex began to kick himself. Why did he just say that?  
"What do you mean?" Jason asked  
"Layla is...different" Alex stuttered  
"Different how?"  
"She's...got a bit of a temper" Alex added awkwardly "just watch out. She's not like other girls"  
Jason grinned "noted. Thank you Alex. I think you and I could become good friends"  
Alex held back the urge to vomit  
"Sounds lovely" he said through his teeth  
Jason turned and walked away. Alex sighed and walked into his cabin. When he opened the door he saw the walls were lined with bunk beds, all taken but two. All eyes darted to him. A boy about his age stood up. He had dark brown hair with bright green eyes  
"You Alex?" He asked  
"Yes" Alex said politely  
The boy smiled and walked to him "nice to meet you. I'm Connor"  
Alex smiled "nice to meet you"  
"Now Alex you can take the bottom bunk right over there. The boy who sleeps on top is a good kid. Except for the fact he beat me in the kayak race"  
One of the boys on the top bunk smiled at him "it's not my fault you suck Connor"  
The boy had an Irish accent  
"oh shut it Neil" Connor snapped  
The boy grinned happily. It looked as if Connor was going to say something else when there was a creak. The screen door was being opened. Alex turned around and saw Layla standing awkwardly in the doorway. All the guys faces dropped when they saw her  
"I'm not interrupting any pillow fights am I?" She asked  
Alex rolled his eyes "hysterical as usual Layla"  
Layla gave him a look then her eyes darted around the room. All the guys were staring at her. She looked uncomfortable  
"You guys alright?" She asked  
Connor snapped out of it  
"Relax. I don't think these guys have ever seen a girl before" he said  
Layla laughed as the guys started crying out defensively  
"I have to seen a girl!" Neil cried "I've had two girlfriends!"  
Layla studied him for a moment  
"Were both of them imaginary?" She asked  
The guys roared out in laughter as Neil turned pink and glared at her. Layla went back to Alex  
"I just came here to see which cabin was yours" she said "and I've found you so I guess I should be going"  
She looked around the room "it was nice meeting you all"  
She turned and walked out of the room. Connor stared in amazement at Alex  
"Who was that?!"  
"That was Layla" he said awkwardly "she's the daughter of some American billionaire"  
"Cool! But then again, we all are" Neil said  
The boys laughed and Alex walked to his bunk. At the edge of the bed was a trunk for all his belongings. Alex simply put the bag in the trunk and made a mental note to unpack it later. Alex sat down on the bed and looked at the empty bottom bunk in front of him  
"Who sleeps there?" He asked  
The boys faces dropped. Connor spoke up after a moment of silence  
"That was Mark. He went missing about a week ago. No one knows what happened"  
Alex got intrigued "did he say where he was going?"  
"On a walk" Connor said "the police already searched the whole property but no one found him"  
Alex found this odd. He was going to ask more questions when he heard a bell ring. All the guys shot up  
"Dinner" Connor said to Alex "come on, you can sit with me"  
Alex grinned and followed him out the cabin. As he walked out he noticed what looked to be a least a hundred more campers walking down a gravel path. Alex followed Connor down the path. They passed multiple cabins, including Layals, and past the beach. Just behind the pool area was a giant building tucked behind some trees. The path led through the front doors and all the kids were pilling in. As Alex walked he noticed that all the kids were of different ages. He wondered how old the boys in his cabin were. They entered the dinning hall and he spotted Layla right away. He thought she'd be sitting alone and be awkward but she was surrounded by a group of girls who were bombarding her with questions. Connor and Alex walked in line to get food. He didn't take his eyes off her until they were out of the line and found a place to sit. Something about that girl made him so interested. He's had crushes on girls before but something about her was so different. He loved it  
"So I take it you like her?" Connor asked  
Alex snapped into reality and looked at the suspicious Connor sitting in front of him  
"No! We barely know each other" he said defensively  
"Are you sure? She came looking for your cabin"  
Alex grew awkward "well she dosent know many other people here so maybe she wanted to know where her one friend was"  
He spoke to quickly and he knew it. Connor grinned and gave him a look  
"Whatever you say mate"  
They ate in silence. The rest of the evening Connor showed Alex around the camp. It was much bigger than it lead on. Turns out the entire camp can use the forest for multiple activities. When they came to the beach Alex noticed the barbed wire fence  
"That's the restricted area" Connor said "People think that that's where Hmesworth and Jason live"  
Alex looked at him "and what do you think?"  
"I think Hemsworth is hiding something and it's trough those gates"  
Alex had to admit it, he was right. Something wasnt right here. Just as he was about to ask another question a different bell went off  
"Curfew" Connor announced  
The two of them walked back to their cabin. When they arrived the other boys were already changed. Alex changed into his pyjamas in the cabin bathroom and then crawled into bed. He closed his eyes and prepared for a good nights sleep.

What felt like minutes later, there was someone harshly whispering his name. He peeked his eyes open and saw a figure staring down at him. As he adjusted his eyes he saw Layla giving him a look  
"Well it's about time!" She whispered "I've been here for almost a full minute now! God you Brits are heavy sleepers"  
He sat up and looked at her more clearly. Her hair was back in a ponytail and she was in dark green pants with pockets, combat boots and a very tight black tank top. He had a hard time not staring  
"What are you doing here?" He asked  
"I want to check out the area" she said  
"And I want to sleep"  
"Too bad soldier. There's no sleeping when lives are at risk. I'll wait outside while you get changed"  
She turned and quietly walked out the door. Alex absent mind idly grabbed his clothes and quickly changed. He grabbed his IPod and flashlight pen and walked outside  
"For gods sake I don't even take that long to change!" She scolded  
"Sorry?"  
She grunted "lets just go mr humble"  
She began to walk off in a huff. Alex followed quickly as she walked along the gravel path. Out of nowhere she changed direction and ran across the field. Alex followed her into the forest. They slowed to a walk again  
"Why are we in the forest?" Alex whispered  
"This side of the forest is used for almost all the activities but the other side is blocked off. I want to see why this side is so special" she whispered violently  
Alex didn't ask anymore questions and they continued to walk. They walked in the dark forest for what felt like hours. Alex was too afraid to even suggest the flashlight. She seemed tense enough. They were so deep into the forest that camp was beginning to get very small. Everything was quiet and they weren't finding anything suspicious and Alex was about to suggest they return when Layla stopped dead in her tracks. She looked around frantically until her eyes stopped at one spot. Alex began looking where she was but saw nothing but darkness. Out of nowhere she cried out to him  
"Alex! Duck"  
He felt confused and didn't budge. Before he could blink Layla pulled him to the ground with her just as the sound of a gun went off. Layla shot up and fired a few shots in the direction of the gun but hit nothing. There were sounds of feet running into the distance but they couldn't see anything  
"You saved my life" Alex blurted out  
"Yea don't mention it" she muttered "come on. We have to get back to camp before anyone wakes up"  
Alex and Layla ran back to camp, only splitting up to go to their respective cabins. When Alex arrived back to his cabin he changed as fast as he could and crawled into bed. He wanted to sleep but his heart was pounding and his head was swimming. What just happened?

How could he have missed?! As he sprinted away he scolded himself. The target was so easy! He could have grabbed them both if it weren't for that crafty girl. He knew his boss wasnt going to like this. He wanted the boy dead and the girl caught. Well it wasnt so much as the boss wanted him dead and he wanted the boy dead. He sprinted through the gates and continue to ran. Looks like he'd have to handle the girl before he got to the boy  
"I'll get you yet Alex rider"

**DUN DUN DUH! Haha alright well I left you guys with a bit of a mystery. We're most likely going to see more of Charlie but I haven't really decided yet. Keep the reviews coming, I really love hearing from you guys! Let me know what you think of the new chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry this took a while, I've been very busy and had a major case of writers block. It's not a fantastic chapter but a lot does happen. Hope you like it!**

Alex woke the next morning to the sound of an alarm going off beside him. He shot up and turned to see Connor holding his cell phone beside him ear. The Irish boy Neil was standing behind him  
"rise and shine" Connor said with a grin  
"Is the alarm necessary?" Alex asked  
Connor shrugged "you wouldn't wake when we called your name"  
"So you blasted an alarm in my ear?"  
Neil nodded "yup. Rational don't you think"  
Alex chuckled and climbed out of bed. He got changed and found Connor and Neil waiting outside for him. They made their way to their way to the dinning hall for breakfast. When they got there Alex spotted Layla right away. She was talking with a girl who had bright blonde hair, blue eyes and had a slim figure  
"Hey Neil" Connor said "looks who's here"  
Connor pointed to the girl Layla was talking to. Neil's cheeks went pink and Connor turned to Alex  
"That's Annabelle" Connor said "Neil has a thing for her"  
Neil spun to glare at Connor before getting into the food line. They went behind Layla and Annabelle who seemed to be in a deep conversation. When Layla caught a glimpse of Alex she turned to him  
"Anna" she said "this is Alex"  
Annabelle looked to Layla "the one you were telling me about?"  
Layla nodded as Annabelle turned on him. She inspected him for a minute before laughing  
"I see what you mean now" she said  
As the three boys gave them curious looks, the two girls burst out in laughter and grabbed trays. Connor turned to Alex  
"What are they talking about?"  
Alex shrugged "I haven't got a clue"  
The girls got their food before them and after they went through the line, they found Annabelle and Layla waiting for them  
"Want to eat with us?" Annabelle asked  
"We can't stand the girls in our cabin" Layla said  
Neil nodded a little too eagerly and the three of them followed the girls to an empty table in the corner. When they arrived Neil engaged Annabelle in a conversation, leaving Connor, Alex and Layla sitting there awkwardly. Connor decided to break the silence  
"So Layla, what's America like. I've never been there before but I've heard plenty about it"  
She gave him a warm smile "it's not all that special really"  
"Not at all special?"  
Layla shook her head "it's much more interesting here"  
Connor gave her a flirty look "it's a shame that you don't live here, you seem to be very interesting"  
She returned the smile "it is a shame isn't it"  
Alex coughed and Connor and Layla whipped around to look at them. Alex recieved a glare from Layla  
"Could I speak to you Alex" she said harshly "alone"  
She got up quickly and walked out the door, Alex close behind her. When they were a few feet away from the dinning hall she spun on him  
"What is your deal?!" She demanded  
"Don't you think you were a little too into character?" Alex asked  
She glared at him "Is it really any of your business who I try to make connections with?"  
"Connections?"  
"Yes" she said making it sound obvious "I'm trying to make a connection with him so he can tell me about this place"  
"I'm perfectly capable of doing that" Alex sad in annoyance  
"Oh really?" She sneered "then now come last night you just about had your brains blown out?"  
Before Alex could answer someone was calling her name. She turned to the side and let out a moan before putting on a fake smile  
"Good morning Charlie" she said  
Charlie jogged up to them with a goofy smile  
"Morning Layla" he said  
He turned to Alex and grinned  
"Alex"  
"Charlie"  
Alex tried not to laugh as he saw the look of disgust on Layla's face  
"Well I should be getting some food" Charlie said "I'll see you all later"  
Layla merely smiled as they watched Charlie walk into the dinning hall  
"He has to be my least favourite person at this camp" she mumbled  
"Well I feel a little relieved" Alex said  
She gave him a little grin before making her way back to the dinning hall. Alex followed her. When they walked in they found Connor looking bored and Neil and Annabelle still deep in conversation. When Annabelle saw Layla she shot up

"Good your back" she said "I need to talk to you. Now"

She grabbed Layla and dragged her out of the dinning hall. The three boys stared after them curiously

"Well that was fun" Connor said "why don't we go back to the cabin"

"Good idea" Neil mumbled

Neil walked away quickly, leaving Connor and Alex alone

"What's up with him?" Alex asked

"No clue" Connor said

They walked back to the cabin and found Neil in his bunk, nose buried in a book

"It's a free day today" Connor said "want to hit the beach?"

Neil sat up "I'm down for the beach"

"Let me guess" Connor said with a grin "Annabelle is going to be there"

Neil glared at him before grinning

"Yes Connor she is"

He turned to Alex

"I believe she's dragging Layla there" he said

Alex nodded "well the beach sounds fun"

Connor smiled and went to the bathroom. It only took the three guys ten minutes to get ready. As the three of them walked down the trail, the sun went right into Alex's eyes

"your lucky Alex" Connor said "it was cloudy until you showed up"

Alex wasn't sure how to answer so he just nodded. They got close to the beach and he could make out the figures of Annabelle and Layla. They walked up to them and Layla smiled at him as if nothing had happened

"You guys want to join us?" Annabelle asked  
Alex's eyes went to Layla

"As long as you guys don't mind" he said

She smiled but her eyes were harsh "not at all"

The two girls turned away and Alex caught a glimpse of Layla rolling her eyes. They walked onto the beach and set their things down. Before anyone could say anything, Annabelle had Layla by the wrist and was dragging her to the dock

"Quite the persistent girl isn't she?" Alex asked with a grin

Connor laughed as they walked up the dock. Other kids from the camp were lying in the sand tanning, talking, reading and listening to music. Not many people were in the water. They got onto the dock and Layla was watching Annabelle dive underwater. Neil and Connor jumped right in and Alex stood next to Layla

"Not going in?" he asked

"I don't know" she said not looking at him "I'm a little...I don't know I guess you could say self conscious"

He gave her a look "you? The person who just about killed me the first time we met? I didn't think it was possible for you to have insecurities"

She smiled a genuine smile "thanks Alex"

Before he could answer she peeled off her top, revealing a aqua bikini. Alex tried not to stare but he could see faint white lines on her stomach. Suddenly she was looking at him

"If I'm going in so are you" she said

"Your not going to push me are you?" he asked

she grinned "I was just telling you but pushing you would be more satisfying"

He took a few steps back and she shook her head at him. In the distance he could hear their names being called. She smiled and dove into the water. He walked back to the edge and dived in after her. The water was cold but refreshing. As he came out of the water he saw that Layla was still underwater swimming. He swam over to Neil and Connor, Neil chatting up Annabelle. As Layla rose out of the water Alex saw she was smiling

"Well that was fun" she breathed

"If you guys want we could go canoeing" Annabelle said

"I'm not much of a canoe person" Connor said "what about boating?"

Layla laughed "have you people ever heard of swimming? It's just as fun. Annabelle, I'll race you to the dock and back"

"I don't know" Annabelle warned "I'm a really good swimmer"

Layla let out a laugh that almost sent chills down Alex's spine "your so own"

And just like that, they began swimming. Annabelle was quick but Layla was much faster. It took Layla not even a minute to get to the dock. By the time Annabelle got to the dock, Layla was halfway back to them. With one last strong kick, Layla swam up beside Alex, a large grin on her face. She wasn't even breathing that hard. Annabelle arrived shortly, completely out of breath

"Damn Layla" she breathed "do you swim with the Olympic team or something?"

Layla laughed "no nothing like that. I just swim in my spare time"

"You must have rockets for feet then" Annabelle said, sounding exhausted

"So I take it you don't want a rematch?" Connor teased

"Are you mad?!" Annabelle laughed "I can barely float here let alone race her again"

"What a shame. But I really would love to race again" Layla said "anyone interested"

Everyone was silent

"Oh come on!" she cried "you brits need to suck it up. I'm not that fast"

Alex took that as a challenge "I'll race you"

Layla turned on him and smiled "alright"

And with that, she was gone. Alex was caught off guard and began to swim after her. Annabelle was right, she must have rockets for feet he thought to himself. Alex was thankful that he was a good swimmer because if he any shot of beating her, he had to use all his strength. As he came up next to her at the dock she looked at him

"I'm impressed Rider" she mumbled with a twitch of a smile "but your still not quick enough"

And then she pushed off the dock. He pushed off after her. As he came up near her she ducked underwater. Alex wished she hadn't because she was a lot faster underwater. He kicked as hard as could as was almost beside her when she shot up and floated next to Annabelle. He came to a stop and found himself breathing heavily. Alex hadn't even noticed how hard he was actually working

"Not bad" she said

Alex noticed that she was almost out of breath as well

"You almost beat her!" Connor said "Why don't you guys go again?"

Layla stuck her hand up "this Olympian can only race so much in one day"

They all shared a laugh and Layla began to float on her back. Annabelle joined her and Alex noticed Connor oddly staring at the white lines on Layla's stomach. As he went to open his mouth to ask what they were, Alex acted fast

"Hey Connor" he said quickly "I'll race you if your up for it"

Connor whipped his head around to look at Alex and the girls stopped floating and looked at him. Connor's look of curiosity faded into a smile

"Sure!" he said "if you think you can win"

Alex smiled and began swimming, Connor on his heels. In the background he could hear cheering, Layla's voice standing out, and he began to swim even faster

That night Alex crawled into bed, muscles aching. He had spent the day at the beach with his new friends. He was really starting to enjoy summer camp. Layla had actually been decent to him all afternoon and he hoped that maybe she was warming up to him. As he closed his eyes there was a knock on the cabin door. Don't be Layla, he pleaded, don't be Layla

"Alex get your lazy ass up" she said "I need to talk to you"

Alex groaned as he sat up. Connor was standing in the doorway looking at him curiously, along with the other boys in the cabin. Layla turned and walked into the darkening sky, Ale following. When they were earshot away, Layla turned on him

"MI6 just told me that they think someone at the camp is the cause for the missing kids"

"They think a kid is kidnapping other kids" he said slowly

"I never said it wasn't an insane idea" she said "but I don't agree with them"

"So what do you think" he asked

"I don't know yet but I do know one thing" she said "they have to be in the restricted area"

Alex looked at her curiously "your suggesting that we break into the restricted area"

"Not right now" she said as if it were obvious "but tonight we are going to check out the fence around the grounds. A summer camp should not have this much security. I'll meet you here in an hour when it's dark and everyone's asleep. Be ready"

Then she walked away, leaving Alex feeling a little dazed. He walked back into the cabin, everyone still looking at him weird

"What did she want?" Neil asked

"Oh nothing" Alex said dismissing him

"Didn't sound like nothing" Connor said "she sounded pissed"

"No she's not" Alex said "just had to ask me something. No big deal. Good night lads"

Then crawled into bed, feeling foolish for calling them 'lads' but he didn't have an excuse for why she wanted to talk to him. They must have decided to leave it alone because no one said anything after that. About an hour later Alex found himself lying in bed, wide awake and listening to the snores of his fellow cabin mates. He crawled out of bed and quickly changed into all black clothes. As he tip toed out of the cabin he saw a dark figure standing where he was supposed to meet Layla. As he approached he realized that it was her. When he walked up to her, she looked at him with a bored expression and looked at her watch

"Right on time" she said "good job. Now let's get going"

As they walked towards the forest Alex couldn't help but feel that when she said 'good job' he was being rewarded like a puppy. They walked into the forest and Layla turned on him

"You might need this"

She stuck her left hand out, revealing a gun. Alex carefully took it and placed it in his belt. They continued walking in complete silence. Alex listened carefully for any movement. He didn't want to repeat what happened last night. The further into the forest they walked, the thicker and darker it got. About ten minutes passed before they reached a wired fence

"This is where we came through" Layla said "Although I could have sworn it wasn't so far out"

Ale was going to reply but he heard a cracking sound. Him and Layla looked up and A;ex could make out a large branch about to fall

"What the..." Layla began

There was another crack and Alex realized Layla was almost directly underneath the branch. Just as the branch was about to crush her, Alex dove. He essentially tackled her to the ground, getting her away from the branch. The two of them hit the ground hard but the sound of the branch hitting the ground was much louder. Layla starred up at Alex curiously as he quickly got up. He stuck a hand out for her and she cautiously took it

"You..." she stuttered "you just...saved me"

Alex grinned "It's nothing"

He must have offended her in some way because her face went hard

"Well I guess we're even now" she said harshly

"Even?"

"Yes even. I saved your life last night and now you saved mine. We're even"

Alex starred at her in utter confusion. Her dark eyes were harsh and she seemed pissed off

"No Layla that's not why..."

She cut him off "it doesn't matter" she said quickly "this was a dumb idea. I'm going back to my cabin"

Before Alex could even try to explain, she was walking away. Alex desperately wanted to stop her but he knew that she wanted to be alone. He waited a few minutes before starting to walk back. He was lost in thought when he heard rustling in the distance. As he hid behind a tree, he heard a familiar voice

"Let me go!"

It was Layla. Someone had grabbed Layla. As he went to go help her, he could hear feet moving away quickly. He came out from behind his tree and quietly followed the footsteps of Layla's attackers. When he could no longer hear their footsteps he got a little worried. He arrived at the very edge of the forest and felt a little relieved for himself. He could see a group of five men walking towards the dock. What made Alex feel suddenly very sick was seeing Layla walking with them. They stopped at the edge of the dock and the biggest of the men held onto Layla tightly as another man tied ropes around her. When they were finished tying her up, they put a piece of duct tape over her mouth so she wouldn't scream. Alex had the urge to go and help her but he knew that even with a gun, he didn't have the capability to take on five, large, grown men by himself. He watched the men release her and join his friends standing in front of her. She began to squirm but it didn't do anything, the ropes were much too tight

"It's no use" he heard one of the men say "face it, your not going to get out of this one. Even of you do have a little friend around here somewhere, you'll be dead before they even know your missing. Consider this a lesson. Never get too close"

Then he pushed her. With a loud splash she fell into the water and Alex's heart sank. The men all walked away with loud laughter. When they were far enough away, Alex sprinted to the lake. Without even thinking, he dove off the dock. He slit his eyes open but seeing anything was useless at this point, he could only hear the quiet sound of someone trying to scream. As the sound began to fade and a heaviness grew in Ale's chest, he swam even faster. Finally he heard something hit the sand and he saw Layla lying limply on the ground. Her hair floated around her face and her eyes were shut tight. With one large kick he finally reached her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and began to swim up. Layla's skin was cold as ice and Alex realized he had to act fast. Finally he reached the surface and Layla grew about ten times heavier. With the slightest bit of a struggle, he reached the beach. He carefully put Layla down and untied the ropes. After he untied the last rope he gently took off the duct tape from her mouth. She was still unconscious so Alex checked for a pulse, feeling himself beginning to panic. To his relief, she had a pulse. Just as he took his hand off her wrist, her eyes squinted open. It took her a moment to process everything and finally she locked eyes with Alex. For another moment she starred at him in complete disbelief

"Alex?" she said in a hoarse voice

"Yea" Alex said reassuringly "are you alright? You nearly drowned"

She began to sit up with a little difficulty "yea I believe that was their intention"

Alex laughed and Layla even cracked a smiled before looking at him in confusion again

"I don't understand" she said quietly "you already saved me, we're even"

"I didn't save you so we could be even. I tried to tell you that. You know, before you nearly got yourself killed"

She laughed and pushed the wet hair from her face

"So you saved me for no reason?" she asked

"Well there is a reason" Alex said

As she glanced at him oddly he smiled

"I'm not going to let you die" he said with a laugh

She smiled "thank you Alex"

"It was nothing" Alex said with a shrug

"My god do you always have to be so humble?" she asked behind her laughter

For a moment they just sat on the beach, both of them dripping wet

"Well this is going to be tough to explain" Layla said "I mean, how do you cover up an attempt at murder like this?"

Alex shrugged "you could always just not tell them anything"

He received yet another curious glance. There was a long and quiet pause before Alex heard footsteps coming their way. He helped Layla stand up and they quickly walked and hid behind a cabin. When the footsteps were gone Layla turned on him

"I may have been wrong about you Alex" she said quietly

"What did you think of me before?" he asked

She smiled "you probably don't want to know"

He looked at her curiously

"Well I'm going to head back to my cabin" she said "but I'll see you in the morning. Thanks again for saving my life...twice"

He laughed "good night Layla"

With one last genuine smile, she turned and walked away, leaving Alex wishing she didn't leave.

**So I thought I'd go out with some action and, hopefully, a future romance. I haven't decided where to go with the story yet but I will try not to take so long with the next chapter. Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the slow update but it's a pretty long chapter so I hope that's enough for you guys! Enjoy!**

Sleep escaped Alex that night. He tossed and turned for two hours before finally drifting off into a half sleep. That only lasted him three hours. Once the sun had been up for at least two hours, he got changed and left the cabin. He wasn't sure what he was going to do but all he knew is he didn't want to lie around any more. He walked out into the cool morning air and decided to walk along the beach and get a second glance at this restricted area. He kicked off his shoes and carried them in his hands. The sand tickled his feet and went in between his toes. The lake was oddly still and some birds were flying around overhead. After about five minutes he came about thirty yards away from a large fence with barbed wire at the top. On what looked to be a door inside was a large white sign with bold red letters saying:

**RESTRICTED AREA**

And another bold sign underneath it saying:

**DO NOT ENTER. PUNISHMENT WILL BE SEVERE**

The sign seemed a little odd to Alex. Who tells kids that punishments will be severe? Behind the fence was a large and thick forest. It was so thick that Alex could only see a small trail leading inside it. Alex began to feel more and more curious and took a couple cautious steps towards the fence when he heard his name being called. He turned around and saw Charlie walking towards him. Alex let out a moan before Charlie reached him

"Morning Alex!" he said cheerfully

"Hello Charlie" Alex replied evenly

Alex noticed Charlie's eyes flicker to the gates  
"What are you doing out here?" Charlie asked "you know that area is restricted right?

"Yes I'm fully aware" Alex said in annoyance "I was just out for a walk. No need to point out the obvious"

Charlie glare at Alex "I don't understand you. I have been nothing but nice to you and how do you repay me? By being unnecessarily rude to me"

Alex wanted to snap at Charlie but he knew that he needed to get on Charlie's good side if he ever wanted to get into the restricted area

"Your right" Alex said, lying the best that he could "I have been rude to you and I apologize"

Charlie smiled "thank you. Now, on to the real reason I came over here. Do you know what Layla is up to today?"

"No I don't. I haven't seen her yet"

"Damn" Charlie said simply "well I guess I can ask her later"

"Ask her what?" Alex asked suspiciously

"If you must know I was going to ask if she wanted to join me at the dance tomorrow evening"

"Dance?"

"Ah right! You didn't know! Every year near the end of camp we hold a dance for all campers at the field just in front of the pool" he pointed to the large field that Alex and Layla crossed to get to the field "it's really quite fun and most guys bring dates. I plan on bringing Layla"

Alex couldn't help himself "she has to say yes first"

Charlie laughed "yes, minor details. Well I should be off, father wants me to run an errand for him. It was good talking to you Alex"

"You too"

Then Charlie quickly walked away. Alex waited a moment before walking back along the beach. He could see a handful of kids walking into the dinning hall and he felt his stomach rumble. Putting his shoes back on, he walked onto the gravel path and made his way to the dinning hall. When he got in he saw that most of the tables were empty. As if someone had put a spotlight on her, Alex noticed Layla sitting by herself, sipping a glass of juice and picking at a muffin and looking absorbed in a book. A grin appeared on his face and he walked over to her. When he reached her table he sat down. She looked up and smiled

"Morning" she said "sleep well?"

Alex made a so-so gesture "I've slept better. What about you?"  
She shrugged and closed her book "I got about four, maybe five hours"

Alex nodded "so are you hanging out with Annabelle today?"

Layla shook her head "no actually. I believe she's hanging out with Neil today"

"Oh really?" Alex asked with a smile "I'm sure he's happy about that. How's Annabelle feeling about it"  
She smiled "wouldn't shut up about it. Made me do her hair and help her pick out an outfit"

"Really? Isn't that a little extensive?"

"Oh I wish it was but sadly no. A lot of girls obsess over the small details like makeup and hair and clothes"

"Are you like that?"

She raised her eye brows at him "please tell me that was a joke"

Alex smiled "it was supposed to be but it didn't go well"

She laughed "I see that"

The doors opened to the dinning hall and Alex saw Charlie look around

"You might want to hide" Alex warned "your favorite person just walked in"

Her eyes went to the door and she cursed violently

"Get rid of him!" she whispered  
She ducked under the table and Alex rose from his seat and walked towards Charlie

"Hey Charlie" Alex said "If your looking for Layla I think she's in her cabin"  
He smiled brightly "oh alright! Thanks Alex"

Charlie disappeared through the doors and Alex laughed as he returned to the table. Layla popped out from underneath and sat back down

"God he's annoying" she grumbled "he's been showing up at my cabin every night asking me to go on walks with him. I need new excuses. My last one was we had to pick out our outfits for the next day"

"He bought it?"  
She shrugged "rich kids aren't exactly the brightest"

Alex laughed and he remembered what Charlie told him earlier

"I think I should give you a heads up" he said "Charlie told me earlier that he wanted to ask you to the dance"

Alex had chosen the wrong time to tell her this. She had been drinking some of her juice and when he told her and she spit it out. Alex was now covered in what smelt like pineapple juice

"He what?!" she cried

"Wants to take you to the dance" Alex repeated, wiping the juice off himself

Layla suddenly looked sick to her stomach "why won't he leave me alone?!"

Alex shrugged "I don't know, maybe he likes you"

She glared at him "not helping"

He laughed "wasn't really trying to"  
She smirked "funny. But seriously, I need your help. How can I tell him I'm not interested"

"Tell him your not interested?" he suggested

"It's not that simple" she explained "he's the son of a very powerful man who we happen to be spying on and I happen to believe that it was his men that tried to kill me last night. I want nothing to do with Charlie but if I break his heart, they might kill me"

"So what are you going to do?"

"I don't know" she said thinking "I could always-"  
She never got to finish what she was going to say. Just as she was going to tell Alex what her plan was, she was cut off by Charlie returning to the dinning hall, this time seeing her. He was calling her name and jogging over to her

"Layla!" He said as he reached her "Your cabin mate said you would be here but I was only here a few minutes ago. I must have just missed you"

"You must have" she said. Alex could hear the restraint in her voice

"That or your some sort of super spy"

Layla laughed slightly "oh don't be ridiculous! A super spy? Me? That's absurd!"

Charlie laughed "it is isn't it. Anyways I came here to ask you if you wanted to go to the dance tomorrow night with me"

Her face dropped "oh well see, I'd love to but..."  
Her eyes darted to Alex quickly, who merely shrugged, and then looked back to Charlie

"I'm already going with someone else" she said hastily

Charlies face dropped "oh. Who?"

Layla turned pale "um..." her eyes went to Alex and then back to Charlie "Alex!"

Both guys were taken back

"Alex?" Charlie said, his eyes flaring

"Yes" she said very quickly "I just remembered that he asked me yesterday over dinner"

Charlie seemed to calm down "he asked you yesterday?"

"Uh huh" she said looking proud of herself "over dinner. Anna and Neil were talking about it and Alex and I realized that neither of us had dates so we decided to go together"

"Hm" Charlie said "Alex, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Alex felt very nervous suddenly but shrugged "it just slipped my mind I guess. It wasn't a very formal asking process"

Layla smiled and Alex noticed Charlie's eye twitched. Alex assumed that he didn't like jokes very much

"Well alright then" he said with a fake smile "I guess I'll see you both around then"  
And with that he walked away. Once he was gone Alex and Layla burst out in laughter. Once they were done laughing there was a moment of silence

"So" Alex said "were you just trying to get of him or do you actually want to go to the dance with me?"

To his surprise, her cheeks went pink "oh well I mean, if you want to"

"Well do you want to?"

She slowly got more red by the minute but she looked up and smiled, as if trying to hide her embarrassment "Yea I would"

Alex smiled "me too"

There was another moment of silence until Layla looked up

"Want to hang out today?" she asked "I don't really know anyone else here"

"Sure" Alex said with a smirk "I could ask Connor to come"

"You don't have to do that" Layla said with a smile "we don't need anyone else to have fun right?"

"Yea!" he said, a rush of happiness and relief rushed through him  
Layla smiled as she finished the last bit of her muffin  
"Ready?" she asked  
"Of course"  
They stood up and made their way out of the dinning hall. They stopped at Layla's cabin so she could drop off her book and then they walked into the forest. Alex and Layla were both craving a little action so they decided to do a little rock climbing. Layla ended up kicking his butt in rock climbing but Alex beat her in the obstacle course but only by a sliver of a minute. After they got bored with that, they switched to sports. They passed the soccer ball around for what felt like hours. Layla was much better than Alex assumed she would be. As Layla went to take a drop kick, Alex noticed someone walking over to them. He was a man that had to be at least 6'4, had thinning brown hair, bright green eyes and was wearing a tweed suit. Layla followed Alex's gaze and raised her eyebrows at the man. He walked over to them with a large grin on his face  
"Good afternoon!" he said cheerily "my name is Alastair Hemsworth. I believe you are our two new campers"  
Layla smiled "yes my name is Layla Smith and this" she said giving a gesture to Alex "is my good friend Alex Jaminson"  
"It's a pleasure to meet you both" Mr. Hemsworth said "I hope your both enjoying yourselves"  
Alex walked next to Layla so he could get a better look at Hemsworth. Alex could see that his teeth were a tinted yellow but besides that, he seemed perfectly normal. Hemsworth eyes went to Layla  
"Young lady" he said sounding a little startled "you have blue in your hair"  
She grabbed a strand of her hair "oh yea these are extensions. They aren't real"  
"Oh!" Hemsworth suddenly seemed a little awkward "what do your parents think of them?"  
She shrugged "my dad's too busy with his stupid law firm that he doesn't care and my mom thinks they're stylish"  
Alex was impressed at how quickly she can lie  
"Well..." Hemsworth said looking a bit caught off guard "that's nice. I should be going and checking up with my counselors. Enjoy your day"  
And he walked away quickly  
"What's his deal?" Alex asked  
Layla shrugged "I don't know. Maybe he didn't like how quickly I lied"  
Alex laughed "probably"  
A large group of girls passed them and giggled when they saw Alex. Layla rolled her eyes  
"Problem?" he asked her  
"Those are girls from my cabin" she said in an irritated voice "they think you are _adorable_"  
Alex smiled "do _you_ think I'm adorable?"  
Her cheeks flushed but she laughed "I've got a lot of words for you Alex" she said as she pushed the ball into Alex's stomach, almost knocking the wind out of him "but adorable isn't one of them"  
Alex laughed as they walked back over to the bin where they got the soccer ball and made their way to the dinning hall for dinner. When they got there they found Connor standing in line alone. They went and joined him in line and Connor greeted them with a large smile  
"Hey guys" he said cheerily "what have you two been up to today?"  
Alex shrugged "not much. What about you?"  
"I went hiking with a couple guys from the cabin" he said "oh you should have been there..."  
Connor then proceeded to tell Alex and Layla all about their hike. The three of them were halfway through dinner when he stopped talking about the hike. Connor kept trying to engage Layla in conversation but Alex noticed she seemed much more reserved and closed off towards Connor. When Layla finished eating and she had shut down Connor's latest attempt at conversation, she turned to Alex  
"Care to go for a walk?" she asked looking desperate to get away from Connor  
"Sure" Alex said as they rose from the table "see you later Connor"  
"Oh uh yea bye" Connor replied awkwardly  
The two of them walked out of the dinning hall and walked along the edge of the forest  
"Man that boy can talk" she said  
"Yea he quite enjoys talking" he said "but he really is-"  
Alex was cut off by Layla sticking her hand out and shushing him. She pointed about twenty feet away where Alex could see Annabelle and Neil in a tight embrace. Layla bit her lip so she wouldn't laugh and pointed to the beach. They quickly walked off and when they were out of ear shot, they began laughing  
"Well good for them" Layla said when she finished laughing "they both really like each other"  
"Yea I know Neil is crazy about her" Alex said "wouldn't shut about her in fact"  
"Same goes for Anna. That girl never shuts up"  
Alex laughed as they approached the restricted area gate. Normally it was sealed shut but this time, it was open  
"Hey" Layla said noticing the gate "it's open"  
She went to walk towards it when Alex grabbed her wrist. Layla looked at him curiously  
"I have a really bad feeling about that place"  
She pulled her wrist back and glared at him, as if he had betrayed her somehow  
"Do you want to find these kids or not?" she asked harshly  
"Of course I do but it's not safe to go in there, not unprepared. It's also not in our orders to risk our lives"  
Layla grunted and rolled her eyes "since when do you care about following orders"  
"I care about our safety Layla" Alex said more harshly than he intended "we're not going in there"  
"You have no faith in me do you?" she snapped "just because you've had more experience than I do you assume that I'm incapable of saving a couple of kids lives"  
"No that's not it-"  
"You are just like my father!" she said, voice slowly getting louder "you assume I can't do anything and treat me like a child. Now I see why he loves you so much, your essentially a small him! Your both heartless, self-centered jerks who assume the worst of everyone beneath them. I'm glad I saw this side of you now before-"  
Her voice broke off and he could see a look of hurt in her eyes  
"I don't think-" Ale tried to say  
"Give it a rest super star" she said harshly "I don't care. And apparently neither do you"  
She walked away quickly and Alex desperately wanted to chase after her and tell her everything. Tell her that he thought she was the best agent he'd ever seen, tell her how he really felt about her...  
Suddenly feeling very discouraged, Alex walked back to his cabin and crawled into bed. He tried to sleep for what felt like a millennium but he just couldn't fall asleep. He decided to go for a walk. Alex walked out of his cabin and out into the large field. He walked down the gravel path toward the beach. He needed to clear his head, this mission was getting stressful. He walked onto the beach and saw a figure sitting down. He saw it was a girl. The closer he got the more he recognized her. It was Layla. He took a deep breath and walked closer to her. He knew that she heard him coming but she didn't acknowledged him. He wondered if she was still mad at him. He sat next to her. She gave him a little side glance to make sure it was him. They were both quiet for a long time until she spoke

"I'm sorry about earlier" she said quietly

Alex grinned "I get it. Your going through a lot"

"It's not like you aren't either. You don't deserve to be treated like that. I really am sorry"

"It's fine"

She looked at him "do you always have to be so humble?"

He shrugged and she rolled her eyes

"So do you want to talk about it?" he asked

she sighed "Not really but I know I'm going to have to eventually. It's better I talk about it with you than my dad"

"Speaking of your dad" he said "why exactly did you compare me to him?"

She looked down "I didn't mean it. I just got caught up in the heat of the moment. My dad is much worse than you"

"Why do you keep saying that? He's never really been all that bad to me"

"Of course not. Your...well you but my dad and I have been through a lot in the past year and a half"

"Yea you've mentioned that a few times. What happened?"

She hesitated. Alex put his hand on her shoulder

"You can tell me" he comforted her

She sighed "six months ago my mother and I were in a car accident. That's why I have all those scars on my stomach"

Alex was shocked but didn't say anything. He could tell that she was going to say more

"We were driving along the high way when there were loud bangs and my mom sort of just...fell over. I didn't know what had happened at the time. The car skidded off the road and we spun around and another car t-boned into us and nearly crushed me. I was in the hospital for weeks. My dad came to visit once while I was awake and that was to tell me I had to move to London. After I was released from the hospital I was given my visa. A few days later I was on the plane. I hadn't figured out my mother was dead until I woke up. It was actually the reason I woke up. The doctor was telling my dad just as I began to regain consciousness. Not the best way to wake up"

Alex was stunned "oh my god"

"Yea I know. My dad wasn't always like this you know. He was actually a really great dad before this accident. Every six months when I went to visit him, we had a really great time. I mean yea he was practically training me the entire time but he was really warm and loving. Then he went into SAS and became more distant. It was my mothers death that really turned him into this heartless robot. I know it's not fair how I'm treating him but...he is such a jerk! He doesn't treat me like a daughter anymore, he treats me like a soldier. He even convinced MI6 to train me like how they trained you. I was just more of a secret. Since my mom died my dad hasn't been the same. All I want is my old dad back but it's like he forgot how to love. Ever since my training started I have done nothing but try to impress my dad"

Alex still didn't know what to say. He figured that considering she has had this bottled up for so long, she needed to talk about it

"Do you know what my goal in life is?" she asked, finally looking at him

"Um no" he said

"It's to have my dad tell me he's proud of me and that he loves me"

It seemed everything she said made him shocked. Before he could say anything she laughed sarcastically

"Sad isn't it?"

He didn't answer. It probably wasn't the greatest idea to answer the question. Alex just kept looking at her longingly, feeling really bad for her. She lost everything in the span of days. He knew exactly how she felt. It was heartbreaking. Out of nowhere she grunted and stood up

"Stop looking at me like that!" she cried

He stood up "what are you talking about?"

She spun harshly "looking at me with pity! Just stop it! This is exactly why I didn't tell anyone in the first place! I don't need anyone's pity! Especially not yours"

Alex could see tears rolling down her cheeks. She spun to walk away but Alex acted fast. He grabbed her arm and she turned to face him. In the darkness he could barely see her dark brown eyes but she still looked distressed

"Layla I don't pity you. I understand you. I went through what your going through, I did exactly what you did, I bottled everything up and looked what happened to me. I'm an angry and damaged sixteen year old. I know all you want is to be alone but that's not what you need. Believe me"

She looked at him for a minute, processing everything he said. Then her expression changed. It was different but still unreadable

"Thank you Alex. For everything" she said softly "your too kind to me. After the horrible way I've treated you your still nice to me. I don't deserve it"

Alex grinned "no not really but sometimes I think I'm too nice for my own good"

To his surprise, she smiled "yea I'm starting to think that too"

Alex smiled widely and Layla nervously looked down at her feet and smiled. Through the darkness Alex could see her cheeks getting red

"Feeling better?" Alex asked

Layla looked back up at him "much. Thank you"

"Any time" he said

"Your a really great guy Alex. I'm really lucky to have you"

"I'm lucky to have you too" He said

They shared a moments of silence. Alex had let go of Layla's arm a while ago but she still hadn't moved. They stood there, looking at each other. The moonlight sparkled in her eyes and highlighted her face perfectly. Her hair was lazily hanging in front of her face, framing her face, making her look even more beautiful. Alex pushed the hair away and looked at her deeply. He put his brain to sleep and let his heart take over. He leaned down and kissed her. He expected her to pull away but she stayed where she was. She seemed tense but then her body relaxed. He was kissing her and she was kissing him back! Alex rested a hand on her head and she ran a hand through his hair. He couldnt have been happier. Out of nowhere there was a loud crack in the forest and they both jerked apart. Layla's spy senses kicked in and she grabbed his hand

"Come on. We have to get out of here"

She rand and dragged him behind him. They ran down the gravel path and stopped at Alex's cabin, perfectly out of sight. The stopped to catch their breaths before speaking again

"Why did we have to run?" Ale asked

"Someone was watching us" she panted "I thought someone was watching me while I was on the beach but I wasn't sure. That crack we heard was someone stepping on a branch. We were being watched"

Alex didn't say anything, Layla just looked at him with concern. Eventually the concern died into a smile. Her eyes began to sparkle in a way that made Alex weak in the knees. Layla reached up and kissed him lightly. After a few moments of happiness she pulled away

"I'm going back to my cabin. I'll see you tomorrow"

She smiled and walked away. Alex watched her until she was out of sight then turned to go to his own cabin. When he walked in all eyes were on him

"Want to tell us what we just saw?" Neil asked

"Um not really" Alex confessed

"We just saw Layla kiss you" Connor said

"Yes well..." Alex said a little lost for words

"Nice one!" Neil said, cupping him on the shoulder

"What did you do?" Connor asked

"I don't really know" Alex said

The guys laughed and Alex felt a little awkward

"Well we should all be getting to sleep" Connor said "it's late"

"Good idea" Alex mumbled  
Alex crawled into his bed and fell right asleep with a smile on his face

The next day everyone seemed to be preparing for the dance. All the girls were in their cabins so the guys spent the afternoon playing sports. While in the middle of a game of soccer Alex heard the creak of a door open. He looked and saw Annabelle and Layla walk out of their cabin, both of them looking exhausted. Neil followed Alex's gaze and smiled  
"I'm going to go say hi" he said  
He ran off and all the guys turned to look to see where he was going. Neil greeted Annabelle with a large smile and they both started talking, leaving Layla standing off to the side. Alex gazed at her and felt himself smile. She looked in his direction and caught his eye. She smiled and said something to Annabelle and then walked over to Alex  
"Hey" she said "what's up?"  
"The guys and I are playing soccer" Alex said "care to join us?"  
"Oh come on Alex!" one of the guys called "girls can't play soccer, everybody knows that"  
Layla smiled cheekily and took the soccer ball from Alex's hands. She drop kicked it and it went half way across the field. The guys stared at her in awe and she pushed the hair from her face  
"Not my best shot" she said staring at the field. She let out a sigh before turning to Alex "we're still on for tonight right?"  
Alex smiled "of course"  
"Good!" she said brightly  
Before either of them could say anything else Annabelle rushed over to Layla  
"We have to go get ready now" she said hastily "we only have about two hours until the dance starts"  
"How will we live?" Layla asked sarcastically  
"Oh shut up" Annabelle said grabbing her wrist "let's go"  
As Annabelle dragged her away, Layla turned back to Alex  
"I'll see you tonight!" she called  
Alex waved as they ran back to their cabin. He turned back to the guys who were looking after Layla in a way that pissed Alex off  
"Do you mind?" he asked  
They snapped out of their daze and started passing the soccer ball again  
Two hours later Alex could hear giant groups of people making their way over to the field. Alex decided it was time to change. He put on a white polo shirt and kept his jeans on. Alex, Neil and Connor all left the cabin at the same time. Girls in dresses and boys in nice shirts passed them, all looking very excited  
"I'm going to get Anna" Neil said "you guys want to come?"

"Sure" Alex said "I can meet Layla"

They made their way down the path to the girls cabin. When they got close they could see two people walking out of their cabin. Alex recognized Annabelle's blonde hair right away. She was wearing a pink and black dress with ruffles that made her fair skin stand out more than usual. She was followed by Layla who was wearing a strapless peach dress that was short in the front and long in the back. Alex suddenly felt speechless. She turned on him and smiled warmly  
"Well somebody cleans up nice" she said  
Alex laughed "look who's talking"  
As the group made their way over to the field, Alex noticed a chain around Layla's neck. As he looked closer he noticed that they were dog tags  
"Dog tags?" he asked  
She grinned and twirled them in her fingers "yea my dad had them made for me"  
"They're cool"  
She shrugged "yea I guess"  
They got to the field and Alex was pleasantly surprised. Lights were stringed high above, illuminating the field. Soft and slow music was playing and the other campers were already dancing. Neil and Annabelle left onto the dance floor and Connor made his way to the food table. Layla softly grabbed his hand

"Come on" she said "I feel like dancing"

She led Alex onto the dance floor and into the middle of all the campers. She gently wrapped her arms around his neck and he put his hands on her waist. They swayed in sync to the soft music. Alex had a hard time not smiling while he was dancing with Layla. In the corner of his eye he could see Neil dancing very closely with Annabelle and even Connor found somone to dance with

"That was fast" Alex said

Layla began to laugh

"What?" he asked

"Your accent" she said "it's kind of funny"

"Is this better?" he said switching to an American accent

Layla's eyes went wide "how on earth do you do that?!"

Alex laughed "a lot of practice" he said switching back to his normal voice

"That's amazing" she breathed

He smiled. She seemed so fascinated by how easily he could switch accents. Frankly, he was too. For a few more songs they danced in perfect harmony. After a song finished playing Layla looked around

"Let's go take a walk. I want to see if the restricted area is still open"

Alex nodded and they walked away from the crowd and onto the beach. They walked a little further and sat the gate was still peeking open

"I think I know why it's open" she said blankly staring at the gate "they're trying to lure someone in"

"What makes you say that?" Alex asked also looking at the gate

"Well I believe that that's where the kids are but the gates always been closed. Until now. Not to mention I've been asking around and everyone has said that everyone one of those kids were curious and liked to explore. If they saw that the usually closed off and mysterious place was open, don't you think their curious senses would kick in? Not to mention be curious about why the area is restricted in the first place? If you ask me I don't think Hemsworth or his stupid son would like that"

Alex stared at her "how did you figure that out?"

She shrugged "out of the two of us, I'm the brains"  
She paused

"And the brawn"

Alex gave her a look "then what the hell am I?'

Layla looked at him "I would say the looks but well...look at me!"

He laughed "I think your cabin mates might disagree with you"

She glared at him and smacked him in the shoulder which surprisingly hurt quite a bit

"I was kidding!" he defended

She continued to glare at him

"I'm sorry" he said sweetly

Her face relaxed a little bit "it's fine. But we have to do something before any other kids go missing. Who knows what they're doing to those kids"

"But when"She turned on him "tomorrow night. We'll prepare everything tomorrow"

"It's going to be dangerous" Alex said softly

"I know" she said quietly "that's why I want to give you this"

She reached up to her neck and pulled off her dog tags. She slipped them around Ale's neck

"I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow" she said glumly "this is just a reminder of me I guess"

Alex smiled warmly "Layla...I don't know what to say"

"Don't say anything" she said grabbing his hands "it says enough on it's own"

He smiled and hugged her. She rested her head on his shoulder and they watched the sun fall slowly

"So I can't help but wonder" Alex said "what's your dad going to think of us?"

"Screw my dad" she said "I don't care what he thinks anymore"

Alex felt a pang of happiness. Because of him, Layla no longer felt the need to please her father. That was the nicest compliment he ever got

**So it finally happened! I'm in the midst of preparing the next chapter but I hope it won't take as long as this one. I really enjoy your commentary and suggestions! Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So I updated much sooner than I thought but it's a long chapter so I hope it makes up for the net update because that one might take a while :P I apologize in advance. Anyways, let me know what you think!**

Alex and Layla tried to enjoy as much of the dance as they could. Seeing as how they were going to break into the restricted area the next night.

The next morning when everyone woke up, Alex felt a pit in his stomach. He wasn't very nervous about breaking in, he was nervous about what was going to happen. Layla didn't like to listen to the rules and Alex knew that wouldn't help them. As Alex made his way over to the dining hall he could see Layla talking on a cell phone. He walked a little closer to listen

"No dad!...I know but...you don't understand!...I get its not in our orders!...how else are we supposed to find out?!...that's not fair! You can't tell me that!...so what if your my father! You can't give me orders!...no you can't!...alright fine!"

And then she hung up. Alex walked a little closer and she looked up at him

"I take it you heard that" she said

"Yea I did" he said looking at the phone "what did he say?"

"I told him everything" she paused and looked at Alex "ok almost everything but anyways, when I told him the plan he flipped. He said it was too dangerous and not what we were supposed to do and then forbid me to go into the restricted area. He said he would send MI6 there later to check it out"

Alex's mood dropped

"But" Layla continued "that doesn't mean I'm going to listen to him"

"So we're still going?"

She nodded "yup. We'll go while everyone's going to dinner. I've been hinting to Anna that I haven't been feeling well so you can tell Connor that you're going to stay with me"

"Have you been planning this the entire time?" Alex asked curiously

"No I've just been making stuff up as I go" she admitted

Alex laughed "of course you have"

Layla smiled and they made their way over to the dining hall. When they got there they sat with their new group of friends. Layla continued playing the act of ill and only ate half a bagel. After almost an hour of pointless banter, Layla claimed to feel nauseous and went back to her cabin. A while later Alex, Connor and Neil decided to go canoeing. When they got to the beach the boys found Callum standing in front of the canoes

"Hello boys!" he called cheerily "you all set to go canoeing?!"

They all nodded and Callum gave Alex a brief tutorial-being the new kid-and then handed them their life jackets. They all climbed into their canoes and started paddling. Alex found it to be pretty easy, at first. As they neared the edge of the forest Alex noticed that his shoulders were already getting sore. Alex looked to his left and noticed a little island off to the distance

"What's over there?" he asked Callum who was paddling beside him

"That's Mr Hemsworths private island" he said "he and Charlie share a house over there"

Alex wanted to get a closer look but his thoughts were interrupted by Callum

"That's also closed off to the campers"

Callum most likely assumed that saying that would shut down Alex's curiosity. He was very wrong. Alex never felt more curious. This was something he had to tell Layla.

For the next few hours they paddled around the island, Hemsworths private island always looming in the back of Alex's mind. When the four of them returned to the camp they found Annabelle throwing a baseball with another girl who had short black hair and bright green eyes

"Have you seen Layla?" Alex asked

"She's ill" Annabelle said glumly, her eyes quickly darting to the other girl "she's been resting all day so Jessie and I have been forced to hang out alone"

"She can't be that bad" Neil said coming up beside me

Annabelle shot him a loving look before she looked back to Jessie

"She's very..._different_" she said cautiously "not usually the kind of person I hang out with"

"How so?" Connor asked

"She's kind of goth"  
Alex looked back to Jessie. She was in all black, despite the warm summer sun, and looked pale. There was a skull necklace hanging around her neck and her nails were painted red and black. She looked incredibly depressed

"She seems nice" Alex said  
"Oh she is!" Annabelle said "but she can be kind of a downer" she paused for a moment "not to mention she hates Layla with a passion"

The guys were a little taken back

"Why?" they asked in unison

"Because Jessie has a huge crush on Charlie and everyone knows how much he likes Layla"  
If they had been drinking something, they probably would have done a spit take

"Him?!" Connor asked "she likes him?!"

Annabelle shrugged "beats me. I think he's a creep"

Before any of them could speak someone was calling Annabelles name. Everyone turned to see Jessie looking really impatient

"Are we going to keep playing or not?" she asked harshly

"Oh yea, hold on just a sec" Annabelle called. She quickly turned back to us "I should go. I'll catch up with you guys at dinner"

The guys bid her goodbye and walked back to their cabin. They had about another hour until dinner so Alex borrowed a book from Neil and tried to read.

He could barely focus on the book

The time was moving quickly and dinner time came quickly. Every five minutes he checked the time. He got quite a few weird looks from his cabin mates but he didn't care. There was a feeling of worry and anxiousness inside him. Finally dinner arrived and Connor and Neil with the rest of their cabin mates were getting ready to leave

"Coming?" Connor asked  
"No I'm not very hungry" Alex said "and I think I'm going to check on Layla"

Connor and Neil grinned

"Fine" Neil said "have fun"

They left and he waited until he couldn't hear footsteps anymore. He put his book down and shoved his pen, digital camera and Ipod into his pockets. He walked out and found the campground to be deserted. He walked over to Layla's cabin and knocked on the door. She opened it and smiled. Her hair hung lazily on her back and she was wearing a flower print tank top, dark jeans, boots that reached her knees and a brown leather jacket

"Aren't you a bit warm?" he asked

"Nope" she said calmly stepping out

She had her weapons in her hand and her belt was around her jeans and she tucked the comb and cell phone inside her coat pocket. In her belt Alex could see a gun

"Here" she said taking out another gun "hold onto this"

Alex slid the gun into the belt and made sure it was covered by his shirt. They walked off towards the beach. They thought that everything would be alright and they could sneak off without anyone suspecting anything and that their plan would go perfectly.

They were very wrong.

As they walked towards the beach they had assumed it would be empty but as they go closer, they could see someone walking down the beach, towards the gate. Their blonde hair glowed in the slowly fading sunlight and Alex recognized her outfit from when he saw her earlier that day.

Annabelle.

Layla froze in place and Alex skidded in his tracks. They couldn't warn her away from the gate; she would know somethings up. They silently agreed that they would wait until she left. Alex and Layla ducked behind a cabin and watched anxiously as Annabelle carefully walked over to the gate. Once she was in front of it she noticed it was unlocked. Quickly looking over her shoulder, she slipped inside. Layla cursed violently under her breath. As she went to run and rescue her friend a man in a black suit appeared out of nowhere. He locked the gate as Annabelle slipped into the forest. Layla's eyes went wide as the man ducked back into the shadows. Finally she couldn't take it anymore and sprinted to the gate. Alex knew protesting wouldn't do him any good so he followed quickly. They got to the gate and Layla glared down at the lock

"Those bastards locked it!" she cried

Before Alex could even answer she whipped out her gun and shot the lock. It snapped in half and she moved the chain out of the way

"We should go before someone comes to see what the noise was" she said pushing the gate open

They ran through the gate and Alex could see the pathway that Annabelle walked down. As they ran down the path the trees seemed to get thicker and thicker. After about ten minutes of sprinting they arrived at an untouched beach. In the distance you could see a little speed boat going towards the private island. Alex's heart sank. If they didn't get to the island soon they might not see Annabelle again

"Look!" Layla snapped Alex out of his horrible daze and pointed to a small canoe lying on it's side

"It was just used" Layla said walking over to it "I bet it was that bastard who locked the door" she quickly spun to Alex "how good are you at rowing?"

He shrugged "pretty good"

A twitch of a smile crept on her face "well then let's get going"

They turned the canoe over and each grabbed a paddle. Alex pushed the canoe in the water before hopping in and paddling as fast as he could. Layla admitted to never paddling before so she didn't really know what she was doing-and that bothered her-but she did her best. After about fifteen minutes of paddling they reached the island. They climbed out and walked along another path way. This one was much shorter and lead to them to a giant house. It was painted gold and had three rows of giant windows. At the very top Alex could see something that looked like a helicopter landing. They cautiously walked to two large doors that were in the shape of arches. The door was peeking open and on the ground was an abandoned cell phone. Layla cautiously picked it up and looked at it

"This is Annabelle's" she said quietly looking at the screen "she was about to call me"

Alex's heart sank as he looked at the sorrow on Layla's face. The sad look quickly disappeared and turned into a hard, vicious expression. Layla pocketed the cell phone and whipped out her gun again. The two of them carefully walked in the front doors and were welcomed by an entrance hall made of black marble. The hall was was wide and seemed to go on for ages. Doors rested on the walls and passageways led into different hallways. To the left there was a large black and gold staircase that led to another floor and one that led downstairs. As Alex looked around a bit he hadn't realized that Layla was walking ahead. He also didn't realize that a man in a black suit was slipping out of the dining room. Because Alex was admiring the house, he didn't see the man creep up on Layla and pull her arms behind her. It was only when Layla cried out from the pain did Alex snap out of his daze. He looked ahead of him and saw Layla being held back by a strange man. Next thing he knew, someone had a grip on his wrists and yanked his arms behind him. He felt like his arms were about to be broken. Alex was pushed forward and stood in front of Layla. She was shooting him a little look

"You know it wouldn't kill you to pay attention"

Alex didn't reply as the sound of footsteps approached. They looked to the stairs and Hemsworth was walking down the staircase with Charlie at his side

"Ah Alex! Layla!" Hemsworth called cheerily "glad you could come!"

Charlie walked over to Layla and smiled "hello Layla. Good to see you again"

"Can't say the same for you I'm afraid" she replied bitterly

"Oh I wouldn't be so hostile if I were you" Charlie said devilishly "my little friend here could snap your arms in half if I decide that I don't like your attitude"

Layla didn't answer that time. Hemsworth still had a cheery grin planted on his face which now, didn't seem so friendly

"So tell me, why are you two here?"

"Look we saw Annabelle go through the gate" Layla said quickly "we went to stop her but she was already going across the lake to this weird island of yours. We came to stop her"

Hemsworth laughed "oh no that's not why you came! I know who you really are" he quickly spun on Alex "you are Alex rider, teen super spy" he turned back to Layla "and you are Layla...what is your last name?"

She glared at him "my last name is I'm-going-to-kick-your-sorry-rich-ass"

Charlie looked at her funny "bit wordy don't you think"

Layla shot him a deadly look but he ignored it

"I guess your last name is irrelevant" Hemsworth continued "all I know is your one of those pesky agents from MI6 and I know you two have come to spy on me. And I can prove it"

"You can't prove anything" Alex snapped

Hemsworth smiled "I can't can I?"

He walked over to Layla and just as he went to reach in her pocket, she kicked him in the knees

"Don't touch me" she growled

With that warm smile of his long gone, Hemsworth backed up and shot a deadly look to Layla

"I gave you a chance to make up for spying and trespassing but you just earned yourself a lifetime in my personal prison" he looked to the man holding Layla back "take her downstairs, cell BK" he then looked to Alex "put him in cell BL"

The two of them were suddenly being pushed towards the staircase. Alex wanted to break free but he knew if he tried, his arms would be snapped in half. They walked down the stairs and entered a small beige hallway lined with cells. As Alex was pushed past them he could see a few children in some of them. So that's where they went. They came to explore the island and were put in here when they were found. But why was he keeping them here? Alex heard a door open and Layla was forcefully pushed in, stumbling on her own feet and falling to the ground. Before Alex could even react, the cell in front of it was opened and he was pushed inside. The man locked the door and smiled at Alex as Hemsworth walked into the room

"Comfortable I hope" he said, the grin back on his bony face

"Why are you keeping all these kids here?" Alex asked harshly

"Ransom of course!" he cried "isn't it obvious? I run a camp for very rich children and if some of them go missing, their parents will be devastated and when they make one of those public announcements saying they want their children back, we send a note asking for a great sum o money and by the time their children can tell them what happened, we will be long gone"  
"So you made the restricted area just to lure the children in"

"Well it wasn't my intention. I originally had it so I could have some privacy but when the first child disobeyed my rules, Charlie had the brilliant idea of the ransom"

"Charlie?" Layla called

"Oh yes I raised a brilliant boy"

"You raised a lunatic" Layla muttered

Hemsworth chose to ignore it but he turned to her with a smug look on his face

"I would demand ransom for you but I know no one would pay it. Not even MI6. You are just a disposable tool for them to use whenever they feel like. I'm sure your own father wouldn't pay your ransom. Has he ever cared about you or is this abandoning his own daughter something new?"

Layla was frozen but Alex was shaking with anger

"How did you-" Layla began quietly

"How did I find out about your precious daddy?" Hemsworth asked "well I did a little research and found out about you and your mums car crash, moving in with your father and then after that, I couldn't find anymore files. I dug a little deeper and found out you had a father in the military. I just assumed he treated you horribly. Why else would you go against his every wish?"

She looked paralyzed. This was a touchy subject for her. Not to mention some lunatic now knows a lot about her. Layla had never looked more afraid. Hemsworth continued talking but Alex tuned him out. He slipped out the digital camera from his pocket and snapped a quick photo. Alex was relieved when it didn't make any noise. He pressed the share button and all he had to do was wait until MI6 arrived. Alex heard Layla snap at Hemsworth and his face tightened

"That's it" he snapped "I've had enough of your attitude. We have a helicopter to prepare but when we return, you'll come with us and we'll have a little _surprise_ for you"

Hemsworth and his men grinned and walked away. They could hear them going up the stairs and finally, it was silent. Layla cursed loudly

"Well this is just perfect" she said "I never thought that this is how I died. I always assumed I would rot in jail after finally snapping and murdering my father"

"How are you taking this so lightly?" Alex asked harshly "they are going to kill you!"

She sighed and reached into her pocket and brought out the comb "this breaks any lock. You use this once they take me away and you can come help me"

Alex stared at her blankly "how long have you been planning that?"

She shrugged "since he started talking. I figured he'd try to kill one of us. The bad guys always do"

And then she threw the comb. It landed between the bars of Alex's cell and hit the ground. Alex picked it up and put it in his pocket. Suddenly there was a quiet voice

"Layla? Alex?"  
It was Annabelle.

Layla's eyes went wide and she looked around. Alex could see her in the cell next to Layla

"What's going on?" she asked

"Anna" Layla breathed "are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just a little scared. What's going on?"

Alex sighed "we can't tell you but we're going to get you out of here. Help is coming"

Layla looked at him "you contacted MI6?"

He nodded "I took a picture of the cell and sent it to them. They should be here soon"

She let out a sigh of relief as the sound of footsteps neared. A very large man appeared with Hemsworth and they unlocked the door of Layla's cell. The large man grabbed her by the arms and dragged her out. Alex noticed a gun being held against her back. As she was being dragged past him Alex noticed diamond studs in her ears that seemed to be…._glowing_.That's when it dawned on Alex. Blunt had given her earrings that recorded conversations. She had been recording everything Hemsworth said to her. She was whisked past him and led down the hallway. Once the footsteps had been gone for a full minute Alex pulled out the comb and put it on the lock. He pressed a little red button and waited. Thirty seconds later the lock began to melt before his very own eyes.

It was amazing.

After about five or so minutes the lock finished melting and Alex pushed the door open

"I'll be back for you all later!" he called to the others

He ran out of the hallway and up the stairs. Alex was about to run up the other staircase when he saw a door at the end of the hallway open. It seemed to be a secret stairway. Alex realized that that's where they took Layla. He changed course and made for the second stairwell. Alex ran up the stairwell as fast as his feet would take him. When he finally reached a door he burst through it. He found himself standing on the helicopter landing. Layla was still being held by one of Hemsworth's guards. Hemsworth spun around to look at Alex

"Oh how nice of you to join us" he said grinning "we were just about to shoot your little friend here"

Layla's eyes widened and she began to struggle again. The girl who rarely showed emotion was scared out of her mind. Alex's eyes shot to Hemsworth

"Let her go" he growled

"And why would I do that?" Hemsworth asked

"Because I'm not the one you want" Alex said "not her"

"Alex?!" Layla cried "what are you doing?!"

He ignored her and kept his eyes on Hemsworth

"Let her go" he said trying to sound confident "and take me instead"

Hemsworth thought about it for a minute and then turned to his guard

"Release her"

The guard almost looked like he was going to protest but then released her. Layla almost fell over but caught herself

"If you're smart you will stay where you are" Hemsworth said to her

She didn't move, she just looked at Alex in shock. Hemsworth turned back to Alex as a different guard approached him. He grabbed Alex by the arm and dragged him to the other side of the roof. Alex avoided Layla's gaze. He stood there, waiting patiently for Hemsworth to shoot his gun but before he could blink, Layla acted fast. She grabbed the guards gun and hit him in the head. He stumbled back and Layla raised the gun to Hemsworth but the guard was too quick for her. He jumped on her back and tackled her to the ground. Layla thought fast and twisted his arm so he would release her. When he did she shot up. The gun had slid to the other side of the roof and rested near the edge. She dashed for it and just as she was about to pick it up, the guard dove for her again. Alex held his breath, getting ready to watch her fall to her death. But he was wrong, Layla moved to the left and the guard fell off. His scream of fear was soon followed the sound of his body hitting the floor. Layla bent down to pick up the gun but didn't see Hemsworth coming towards her. As Alex went to scream at her, his mouth was covered by the guards hand.

Layla went down on one knee and reached for the gun. Just as she laid her fingers on it, a shoe crunched her right hand. She pulled it back. The pain was nothing like she ever felt before. She stood up and came face to face with Hemsworth

"You really thought you could beat me?" He asked laughing "that's adorable"

Layla was about to respond when she heard the faint sound of boats coming from all directions of the island. MI6 was here. All she had to do was distract him long enough and then her father would take over

"Yea I did" she said "and I still do"

He drew his gun and pointed it at her heart. He sneered

"Still confident?" He asked

Layla tried to hide her fear "plenty. I know you won't shoot"

"What makes you think that"

"You're a coward"

His face tightened but Layla was focused on the gun. The hand that held it was shaking violently. Layla's eyes quickly darted to Alex. He was being held tightly by a guard. He looked just as terrified as she felt

"Aw are you going to miss the love of your life?" Hemsworth mocked "you know I was in love once. I thought she loved me back but it turns out, she was using me for my money. Since that day I have sworn that I'd never love again"

Layla sneered "you think you know what love is? That's precious. I don't know what you think love is but all I know is love is when you're willing to do anything for them, like take a bullet for them. Love, is when your not afraid to stand on the highest mountain and scream how you feel. Love, is showing you care"

Layla plucked a nerve with Hemsworth because he grew furious. Layla noticed the sound of the motors dying off slowly

"You dare try to teach me about love?!" He yelled

Before Layla could respond, with his shaking hands, he shot. Alex cried out and Layla swore she heard someone else. Wait, she thought, why aren't I dead yet? Her left arm began to burn and she noticed the blood all over her arm. She gripped the wound as the burning grew hotter and hotter

"You stupid child!" Hemsworth spat "I still can't believe you thought you could take down a powerful man like myself all by yourself. Well, you failed your mission. Enjoy death"

The he pushed her. He wanted her dead and was willing to do anything to get that goal. But Layla wasn't dying, not yet. As she began to fall, with her good arm, she reached out and grabbed the ledge. She smacked her body against the building, causing her even more pain. Hemsworth didn't notice because he had moved his attention to Alex again. She tried to pull herself up but her hand was weak from when Hemsworth stomped on it. She hung there, holding on as tightly as she could.

Alex watched in horror as she fell. Anger and adrenaline swept through him and he punched the guard. He punched him in the face and pinched the nerve on his neck so he would pass out. As he spun back to Hemsworth, he noticed fingers holding onto the edge. Alex took a deep breath but turned to Hemsworth. He was smiling, looking pleased with himself. Alex remembered the gun tucked in the back of his belt. He wondered how quickly he could pull it out when he heard someone calling his name

"Alex! Help!"

It was Layla. He noticed her fingers turning white from gripping the side. Hemsworth turned back to her and Alex grabbed the gun just as Hemsworth looked back to him

"Well what are you going to do?" He asked him "are you going to shoot me or save the slipping girl?"

Was she slipping. Before he knew it he stomped on her fingers. She cried out but held on

"Your a sick man" Alex said

"Maybe, but you have to realize my dear Alex is that in the end, someone here is going to die, and it will be your fault"

Alex felt a sinking feeling go through him but remembered he was just trying to get to him. Alex raised the gun

"Better it be you than someone I care about"

Then he pulled the trigger

Layla heard the sound of a gunshot. She was worried that it would damage Alex. Layla didn't have time to worry, because of blood loss she was starting to pass out

"Alex please!" She yelled "I can't hold on much longer!"

Her vision became blurred and her fingers slowly slipped off the edge. Just as he began to fall, she felt a hand clasp around hers.

Alex pulled her up with all his strength. Her eyes were only half open and she didn't seem aware of anything going on. Finally, he got her up safely away from the edge. She lay limply on the ground, blood oozing from her arm. He sat on his knees and grabbed her head in his hands and lay her in his lap. She blinked her eyes

"Alex?" She asked quietly

"Yea it's me" he said

"You saved me" she said smiling

He shrugged "it's not big deal. I'm mister humble remember?"

She chuckled before she passed out. Her chest was moving only slightly. Just as she lost consciousness, the door burst open. Wolf was standing in the doorway. His eyes went straight to Layla and he became very pale. He ran over to them and Alex passed her to him

"Don't worry" Alex reassured "she's just passed out but she's bleeding a lot"

Wolf looked up at him "you saved her"

"Of course" he said "I...I..."

He didn't know how to tell him that he had feelings for his daughter. He sighed

"It's all in the job" he spit out

Wolf grinned and looked down at Layla's limp body. Alex thought he saw tears in his eyes

"Oh Layla I'm so sorry" he mumbled "I'll never let them do this to you again"

A few more soldiers rushed over to them. They started bandaging up Layla and Alex saw a SAS helicopter approaching them

**And there you have it folks. So I have at least another chapter left of this story (maybe 2) but I would really appreciate it if you could let me know if I should continue with Alex and Layla in a different story. Thanks so much for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: So I have been updating very quickly lately and I have a feeling it might be because of my lack of social life :p Anyways...enjoy!**

The sterile white hospital building was unnerving for Alex. It smelt like bleach and everything was white. Everything. Now he was walking up to the elevator and getting a mass amount of weird looks. People in the waiting room seemed to think he looked to calm to be in a hospital. The truth was, he wasn't calm at all. Alex wasn't aloud to ride in the same helicopter as Layla and they wouldn't let him see her for three days.

He was freaking out.

Finally the doctors let her have visitors and Alex got there as fast as he could. He was sure that Blunt had already been to see her on account of the information she acquired. Alex hoped he wouldn't run into him. He pressed the button for the fourth floor and waited. Hemsworth had been taken to a hospital as well but after he was stitched up, he was arrested. Alex had only shot him in the leg but it got him enough time to save Layla and for MI6 to come and arrest him. Charlie had also been arrested because Hemsworth admitted to Alex and Layla that the kidnappings were all Charlie's ideas. Layla didn't have to put up with Charlies senseless and shameless flirting anymore. Alex had been assured that the other kids had been rescued and he was relieved. He hoped to keep in touch with the friends he made that summer.

Finally the elevator doors slid open and he walked down the hallway. Some doors were peeking open and he could hear snippets of conversations but he didn't care, he was just trying to find Layla's room. As he neared the end of the hallway he could hear familiar voices

"But dad…"

"No buts Layla! You disobeyed orders!"

"We saved a bunch of kids from the hands of that lunatic!"

"Yes you did but you didn't need to! We were on our way, we would have rescued them. You had no reason to go and put yours and cub lives in danger"

"We were fine!"

"Being shot is not fine!"

There was a long pause of silence before Alex could hear someone let out a sigh

"We will talk about this later" Wolf said sharply "I have to speak to your doctors"

"Yes sir"

Alex could hear footsteps and he realized that he didn't want to be seen. He ducked into the room next to Laylas and crouched behind the door. He waited until the sound of footsteps disappeared and then he stood up. Alex turned around and saw an elderly woman lying in the hospital bed with her family surrounding her. They were all staring at him

"Uh hello" Alex said awkwardly

"Hello" the elderly woman said

"Sorry wrong room" Alex said quickly

He rushed out of the room and closed the door behind him. He walked into Layla's room and found her propped up on the bed with her head tilted back and she was taking shaky breaths. Her nose was a little red and when she brought her head back to normal, Alex could see her eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were wet. When she saw him she looked surprised

"Alex" she said wiping her eyes "I didn't know you were coming"

He walked over to her "I came as soon as I could"

She sighed and he sat down next to her on the bed

"My dad is seriously pissed at me" she said "thinks everything is my fault. Also claims that I could have had you killed"

"I was fine"

She snorted "yeah but apparently I put your life in danger. It's not like I'm the one who sent us there in the first place!"

He put a hand on her shoulder "Layla, relax"

"How can I relax knowing that my father thinks I'm a failure!" she cried, tears welling in the corner of her eyes "he is never going to trust me with anything ever again!"

"Layla" Alex said softly "your dad is just worried about your safety"

She stared at him curiously before grinning "I know that was all a bunch of crap but thank you"

He smiled "you're welcome"

Layla wrapped him in a hug and she rested her head on his shoulder. Her hair was soft and smelt like it had just been recently washed. He wondered how she would have washed it in a hospital when she sat up but stayed close

"Are you alright?" she asked "I haven't seen you since the rooftop"

"I'm fine" he said with a smile "how's your arm"

She looked at the bandage over her bullet wound "the doctors said they got the bullet out and I'm all stitched up" she pointed to a little table with a plastic bag on it "for some reason they thought I might want to keep the bullet so they cleaned it for me"

Alex made a face "that's disgusting"

"Yea I think I'm going to throw it out" she said looking at it "it's a painful reminder of the mission" she paused "no pun intended"  
Alex laughed and she looked at him "thank you for risking your life for me"

"I'd do anything for you" he said quietly

She smiled and reached over and pressed her lips against his. It was a light kiss but Alex didn't care. It was Layla he was kissing and that's all that mattered to him. She pulled away and smiled at him

"Why don't you go get something to eat" she said "my dad's going to be back soon and I still need to talk to him about….." her voice died out and she gave him an awkward glance "you know….us"

Alex grinned "don't make it sound like a bad thing"

"It's not!" she reassured him " it's the smartest decision I've made in a long time. The bad part is having to tell my dad I'm dating you"

"I'm sure he'll take it better than you think"

She shot him a look "have you met him?!"

Alex laughed "good point"

Alex stood up and made his way over to the door but turned and looked at her

"I'll come back in a bit" he said

She smiled "you better"

He smiled and walked out the door. Alex made his way down to the first floor and found the cafeteria. Once he got there he got himself a Coke and a ham sandwich. While he ate Alex couldn't help but feel a little nervous. How was Wolf going to react? Would he be mad at Alex? Would he hurt him? The thoughts didn't seem to want to leave his mind. Finally once he was finished eating and thought he gave Layla and Wolf plenty of time to talk, he made his way back to Layla's room. He stopped to go to the washroom and wash his hands. The hot water burned his hands but he still washed his hands slowly, he didn't want to walk in on Layla talking with Wolf. Alex walked out of the washroom of the hospital and made his way back up to Layla's floor. He turned the corner to go to her room but he nearly ran into someone. After stumbling back a bit he looked up and saw Wolf staring down at him

"Ah cub" he said evenly "came to see Layla I assume"

"Um yes" Alex said, wondering if Layla had said anything to him

"I must thank you for saving her" he continued "I didn't think you would do something like that for her. She didn't seem to like you too much"

Nope. She didn't say anything. Alex ran a hand through his hair

"Well I wasn't about to let her die. She really is great though"

"Yes she is"

Like you would know Alex thought to himself

"Anyways" Wolf said "she's just changing but should be out soon"

"Oh they're releasing her?"

He chuckled "yes the doctors have finally deemed her safe. It's odd I-"

His voice broke off and he stared at Alex curiously

"Are those Layla's dog tags?" He asked in a quiet but harsh voice

Alex looked down and saw that Layla's dog tags were still hanging around his neck. He was so used to having them on he forgot he was wearing them. Wolfs eyes flared but his face remained frighteningly still

"Oh yea" Alex stuttered "she-um-we-"

"Why are you wearing her dog tags?" Wolf growled quietly

"Look Wolf let me explain" Alex said hastily taking a step back "she gave them to me the other night"

Wolf took a step closer to Alex "why would she give you her dog tags?"

Alex wondered what to do. If he lied, Wolf would find out and kill him, but if he told the truth Wolf would kill him. He couldn't win. Alex decided to go with honesty. A big mistake

"Well at camp" he said "we sort of started dating"

"You what?!"

Wolf pinned Alex against the wall and his eyes were showing so much anger Alex thought for sure he would be murdered on the spot. But before Wolf could do anything, Layla walked into the room. When she saw them her eyes went wide

"Dad!" She cried running over to them "what do you think you're doing?!"

"I'm going to kill him" he said, never taking his eyes off of Alex

"Dad you're being ridiculous!" She cried "let go of him!"

When Wolf didn't let go she took her fathers hand and tore them off of Alex. Wolf backed up as Alex moved beside Layla

"Why didn't you tell me you were dating him?" Wolf barked

Alex assumed she would be confused but she just glared at her father "because I knew you would act like this! You've always taken poorly to me dating!"

Alex gave her a little look but she ignored it

"Layla you're too young!" Wolf snapped

"I'm sixteen for gods sake!" She yelled "it's time for you to accept the fact I'm growing up. I guess it's harder for you because you weren't around to see it happen"

That blow even hurt Alex. Wolf looked like she punched him in the face but he shook it off quickly

"Why don't we talk about this at home" he suggested, noticing the eyes of the people in various rooms

"No!" Layla snapped "you just about murdered my boyfriend. This cannot wait!"

Wolf winced at the word boyfriend

"He's not right for you" he said through gritted teeth

"If he's not right for me then who is?" Layla snapped "Alex and I share the same sense of humour, we have the same interests, we both were forced into something that neither of us wanted. The only difference between us is that he didn't do it to impress his ass of a father"

Wolfs face dropped but Layla continued talking

"You have controlled my every move since I moved in with you and I'm tired of it"

"You're just a kid" Wolf snapped at her

"That means I get to make mistakes!" She cried "I get to have the experience of relationships. Sure I'm going to make mistakes along the way but that's what I do! I'm a kid! And a kid should not be getting shot at by a mad man who kidnaps children for fun! You need to learn to accept the fact that I'm just a sixteen year old girl who's living life one step at a time. And this step includes me dating Alex"

Wolf stared viciously at his daughter

"I forbid you to date him" Wolf snapped "or anyone until I say so"

"You can't do that!" Layla cried "you can't decide who I date and who I don't"

"Watch me" Wolf growled

Layla shot Wolf a deadly stare

"God I hate you so much sometimes! Look dad, I care about Alex. A lot" she grabbed Alex's hand and Wolf looked about ready to pop a vein "I'm going to continue dating him whether you like it or not. Say what ever you want but I don't care anymore. I'm done taking all your crap. Accept me for me or don't at all"

They had a stare down before Layla turned on Alex

"I have to see the doctor about some medication but I'll call you later"

Then she reached up and kissed him. It was most likely meant to piss off Wolf but Alex really didn't mind. She pulled away and walked down the hallway. Wolf glared viciously at Alex

"Stay away from my daughter" he said cruelly

"Honestly Wolf what good is going to come from you scaring me?" Alex asked irritated "I care about your daughter and she cares about me. Even if you do forbid her from seeing me, we'll just find ways to see each other"

"I'm warning you-" Wolf said

"Don't you think you've done enough damage to her?" Alex cut him off "she craves for your love and approval but all you're doing is crushing her. You have a really grey daughter Wolf, don't let her slip away"

Wolf continued to stare at him harshly but after a few moments it softened up (barely)

"I just don't want to see her get hurt"

"What makes you think she'll get hurt?" Alex asked bitterly "I have no intention of hurting her in any way"

"I know you don't, you're a good kid. She's just so much like her mother. I wonder if she'll make the same mistake"

"What mistake?"

Wolf sighed "falling in love"

Alex felt confused but Wolf spoke again

"When we were sixteen her school took a trip to London. We met on the first day and fell madly in love. She resented me at first but that just made me want her more. After her trip we stayed together and when I was eighteen, I moved to America to be with her. We got married a few years later and had Layla very young"

There was a long pause but Alex didn't say anything, he figured Wolf was going to continue

"I was drafted into MI6 when Layla was your age but her mother and I had already split up. We were fighting a lot and it was a bad place for a young girl to be. Layla visited me all the time and we had great fun but..."

Wolf let out a sigh and looked away from Alex

"I saw so much of me in her that I started to train her. Kind of like how your uncle prepared you" the words hurt Alex but Wolf didn't notice "she's doing the same thing as her mother and I don't want to see her face the same fate" he true to look at Alex again "were very much alike Alex. And that's why you can't see her. Because I know that one day, you'll end up crushing her and lose everything you ever loved"

And with that, he walked out the door. For a moment, Alex was frozen. He didn't know what to think. Was he like Wolf? He cared about Layla but would he make the same mistake as Wolf? Was he falling too hard too fast? His thoughts were interrupted by Jack coming in

"Oh Alex!" She said "I thought you would be with your friend"

"She's with the doctor" he said quietly "I'm seeing her later"

"Alright" she said brightly "I was in the neighbourhood and thought you might want a lift home"

"That'd be great" he said "thanks"

She beamed and they walked into the elevator. Alex didn't say anything while they walked out of the hospital or while they drove home. Finally when they got home Alex went up to his room and fell back on his bed. In a few minutes time he was threatened and then he saw Wolf's "soft side". It was a lot to take in. He closed his eyes and ended up drifting off. When he woke it was dark out and the moon was shining bright. Alex crawled out of bed and walked downstairs. Jack was reading a book and Alex told her he was going on a walk. She offered to go with him but he needed time to think. He walked out the door and into the cool night air. Alex wasn't sure where he was going to go or how long he would be out but all he knew is he needed to think. He really liked spending time with Layla but would Wolf not approving be a big deal to him? He knew it didn't bother Layla in the slightest bit but how far would Wolf go to make sure Layla didn't see Alex? Anger and sadness suddenly rushing through him, Alex pushed the thoughts from his head. Suddenly he could hear muffled yet loud arguing and he looked up. He couldn't see who was doing the arguing but he knew it must have been intense and heated because he suddenly heard a door slamming. He looked up and saw a light flicker on. And to his surprise, Layla appeared at the window. She hadn't seen him in the darkness and she was looking out at the moon. Alex smiled as he looked at her and he pulled out his cell phone and dialed her number. The phone rang twice before Layla picked up her phone and put it to her ear

"Hello?"

"Hey look outside" he said

She looked a little confused "I am looking outside"

He laughed "look down"

Layla looked down and saw him and smiled

"I'll be right out" she said "hold on a second"

She hung up and disappeared from the window. The light flicked off and Alex only had to wait thirty seconds before the door opened and Layla stood in the doorway

"I'm going out!" she called

She didn't wait for a response and slammed the door and ran over to Alex

"What are you doing here?" she asked

"I went for a walk and stumbled upon your house" he said "I thought you might want to escape"

She let out a sigh "I really do"

He smiled "want to join me?"  
She smiled sweetly "I do"

Alex smiled and grabbed her hand. They started walking down the dark road with the street lights illuminating only sections of the houses and sidewalk

"So is your dad still angry?"

"Beyond angry" Layla said "he is furious with me. Mostly because I told him that he could go to hell"

Alex looked at her "you told your own father to go to hell?"

She let out a frustrated sigh "he's being an irrational ass. He says that I'm too young to date, says that I can't handle myself"

"You? He thinks _you_ can't handle yourself"

She laughed "yea apparently I'm not responsible enough to handle missions or something. I told him that he was just scared of letting me slip through his fingers like he did with my mom. That's when all hell broke loose"

Alex remembered the look of sadness and loneliness in Wolf's eyes when he talked about his wife. Alex knew that Layla saying that would crush him

"I have to admit" Layla continued "that was low. Even for me. I shouldn't have said that. I'll apologize for that later"

"You're going to apologize?" Alex asked "man, you really must feel bad"

She bumped into him playfully and he smiled. The two of them walked for about twenty more minutes before arriving at a soccer field and sat down on the bleachers

"I hope my dad didn't scare you" Layla said softly "I couldn't stand being around him any longer so I had to leave"

"It's fine"

She looked at him "what did he say to you" when Alex was silent she let go of his hand and put her face in her hands

"Oh god. He lives to ruin my life doesn't he?"

"It's nothing bad" Alex said

She looked up "then what did he tell you?"

He sighed "he told me about your mom and how they met"

Alex could see her role her dark eyes

"He told me about that too" she said "he thinks that it will discourage me to date you. Or encourage me to go live with my aunt in America"

"What?"

She looked at him finally "my dad thinks London isn't safe anymore and wants me to go live with my aunt back in America"

Alex was waiting for her to continue but when she didn't, he got very panicked

"Well what are you going to do?"

"It depends"  
Alex was feeling very anxious "on what?"

"It depends on how you feel"

He felt lost "on how I feel?"

She nodded "I want to know whether you want me to stay or not"

Alex wondered if he had ever seen so much scared of anxiousness in someones eyes before  
"Of course I want you to stay" he said softly

"Are you sure?"

He lightly touched her cheek "I have never been so sure about anything in my life"

She smiled and leaned in and kissed him. Alex decided he wouldn't let Wolf get in the way of their happiness. It was what was best for both of them. Layla pulled away and smiled at him

"Come on" she said taking his hand "my dad is going to flip if I'm not home soon and I don't think I can afford him getting any angrier"

"Is that possible?" Ale asked as he stood up

Layla paused as she thought about it "you know, I'm really not sure"

They laughed as they made their way home. Alex knew that he was stupid for second guessing himself. When Layla said she might be going back to America, he felt like his world was crumbling around him. He knew now that he wanted to be with Layla and nothing would change that.

**So I know it might not be the greatest explosion from Wolf but it's all my brain could come up with so sorry! **

**And I have had people tell me to continue the dynamic duo (thank you by the way. You're all awesome!) and I even got a suggestion (which I am using) but I would love to hear other ideas from all you lovely writers out there! I am having trouble coming up with a new story idea so if you have one you can leave a review or PM me. I love talking to you guys!**

**Thanks for reading xoxo I'll try to update the last chapter soon**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: I guess I should apologize for my lateness in updating. You know how life is. Business happens. Anyways...I am alive (thank you for the consideration) and I just wanted to take this moment and thank everyone for being so fantastic! My friend called you guys my minions and I could not stop laughing. You might not get that reference if you don't watch Supernatural. But that's beside the point! You guys are super loyal and awesome and have been good to me this past year. I have super low self esteem but ever since I started writing and getting your reviews, it has been boosted by a large amount. So I just wanted to say thank you. So much. You have no idea how awesome you guys. Ok chick flick moment over. Read on!**

The first punch was thrown by Layla. Alex knew it was coming of course but it was a more complicated and quicker than he expected. Thankfully, Alex blocked it but she retaliated with a kick in the shins. It was painful but he couldn't back down now. Alex threw the next punch and Layla ducked down and then tackled him by the legs. Alex hit the dirt with a loud thunk and Layla grabbed his arm and pulled it upwards. He could hear a moan from the crowd that had begun watching them. She pushed her arm into his jaw and just when the pain began, she eased off. She released him and sat back on her knees

"Darling you're slipping!" she said in a mocking voice "I shouldn't be able to pin you down _that_ easily"

She stuck her hand out and he took it gratefully "it's why we're here isn't it?" he asked "to get better?"

They stood up and she smiled "yes but it seems that I'm the only one improving"

Alex knew she was teasing but he glared at her anyways. A look came across her face and she put a hand on his arm "I'm just teasing Alex. You've been doing great"

He grinned and laughed "the only reason you beat me was because I was distracted"

She raised her eyebrows "distracted?"

"Yea! It's not fair that they made me fight the most beautiful girl at training"

Her cheeks went pink but she punched him in the arm lovingly "oh shut it you big sap"

With a small grin she turned to the group

"Don't you all have something better to do than stand around and watch us?"

They all retreated back to their respective destinations and she shook her heads

"Some people" she muttered as she turned back to Alex  
"So is everyone afraid of you here?" he asked her

Layla shrugged and smiled "you know, I'm pretty sure everyone just thinks I'll tell my father on them"

"People are afraid of your dad?"

She laughed "have you seen him?!"

Alex paused and then nodded "good point"

Before she could answer someone was calling her code name, Sphinx, and Alex could see Wolf walking over to them. Layla let out a moan and turned around lazily, just like how she always greeted her father.

"Yes?"

Wolf reached them and gave Alex a blank yet deadly stare before looking at his daughter

"I have a message for the both of you" he said evenly

"And that would be?"

Alex could see in Wolf's eyes that her attitude still bothered him but as long as he treated her like a child, she would treat him like an insect

"It's from Blunt" he said "he's worried that a good friend of his is in danger"

"And this concerns us why?" she asked with raised eyebrows

"Because he needs you to protect her"

Both Alex and Layla were shocked "_her_?!" they spoke in unison but it didn't seem to bother Wolf. But then again, why should it?

Wolf merely nodded "yes her. The girls name is Felicia Roberts. She is daughter of multi-millionaire John Roberts, the owner and founder of Roberts Computers, and Blunt is concerned that somebody is after their family"

"Getting right to the point I see" Layla mumbled

Wolf ignored her "Felicia will be coming here to learn basic hand to hand combat and afterwards, she will return home but Blunt thinks that won't be enough to keep her safe"

"And he wants us to watch over her" Alex said

He nodded "Yes. But while she is here please treat her as you would treat any other soldier"

A vicious grin appeared on Layla's face "can do. _Sir"_

Wolf held back his anger. For the past few weeks Wolf had been trying to act as a better father towards Layla but she it was becoming obvious that she wasn't on the same page as him. It was almost like she was trying to anger him

"She is on her way here" he said "and be nice"

His gaze was on Layla

"What?!" she defended "I'm always nice!"

Both Alex and Wolf raised their eyebrows at her. She crossed her arms and sank into her hip and looked defeated

"Ok I'm nice when I want to be"

"Which is just about never" Alex mumbled

He wasn't too surprised when she punched him-forcefully-in the sides. One more bruise to add onto the list of bruises she's given him in the past few weeks. The sound of a car neared and Wolf relaxed

"Make her feel welcome" he said

And then he walked away  
"Oh I'll make her feel welcome alright" she spoke with a devilish gleam in her eyes

"Layla" Alex warned

"Oh I'm not going to kill her" she said keeping her eyes on the black town car that was approaching "just show her who's boss around here"

Alex knew that everything was about to get a lot more complicated as the car stopped and a thin, tall girl with sleek black hair got out of the car. She had on an identical outfit to Layla-camouflage pants and a plain green t-shirt with boots-but seemed to walk with a more proud saunter. She walked over to them and Alex could now see her face. She had soft green eyes and had a pretty face. To Alex, she didn't even compete with Layla but judging by his girlfriends tense body, she was threatened  
"And you are?" the girl asked with an alarming amount of arrogance that Alex even found irritating

"The people who will be saving your spoiled ass" Layla snapped

Felicia's eyes casually drifted to her "you're training me?" she let out a small laugh and a sigh "and I thought I would be safe here"

Layla's eyes flared and Alex knew he had to act fast "you're plenty safe here Felicia"

She finally looked to him and seemed a little taken back but it faded into a smile very quickly "wow you're cute!"

Layla had enough. She stepped in front of him, getting much closer to Felicia "back off princess. He's taken"

A new look appeared on Felicia's face. Almost as if she were challenging Layla

"By you?" when Layla nodded Felicia sneered "well that can be changed very quickly"

Layla now had her hands in fists and her shoulders were tense. She looked ready to attack. Alex knew that this was not going to be an easy mission.

To be continued.

**I know that was really short and probably not very satisfying but I didn't want to leave you guys with nothing. So I will be working on this as life goes on but I am open to suggestions (and I mean VERY open) so review or even PM me. And if you REALLY want to talk to me, you can follow me on Tumblr. My name is luciejohnson1. Very simple. **

**Alright I'll speak to you lovelies next chapter!**

**Hugs and kisses,**

**Lucie**


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